SALESMANSHIP 

ANI> 
SALES  MANAGEMENT 


MARKETING  POLICIES 

SALES  CAMPAIGNS  WHICH  BUILD  UP  TRADE 

TRAINING  YOURSELF  TO  SELL 

DEVELOPING  AND  MANAGING  A 

SALES  FORCE 


A.  W.  SHAW  COMPANY 

CHICAGO          NEW   YORK 
LONDON 


Copyright,  1914,  by 
A.  W.  Shaw  Company 

Copyright,  Canada,  1914,  by 
A.  W.  Shaw  Company 


Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London 
A.  W.  Shaw  Company,  Ltd. 


Under  the  title 
:'The  Library  of  Business  Practice" 


SALESMANSHIP  AND  SALES 
MANAGEMENT 


I— MARKETING  PROBLEMS  AND  THE 
SELLING  PLAN 

Editorial  by  Hugh  Chalmers          .......  7 

I     CARRYING  CONVICTION  TO  THE  BUYER      ...  9 

By  George  L.  Louis 

II     How  TO  CHOOSE  AND  DEVELOP  A  MARKET     .        .  17 
By  Charles  E.  Churchill 

III  PLANNING  NEXT  YEAR'S  SALES         ....  23 

By  Melville  W.  Mix. 
President,  Dodge  Manufacturing  Company 

IV  GETTING  DEALERS  TO  PUSH  YOUR  LINE  ...          31 

By  George  L.  Louis 

V     How  TO  Focus  TRADE  THROUGH  JOBBERS        .        .         44 
By  Robert  H.  Ingersoll, 

President,  Robert  H.  Ingersoll  &  Brother 

VI      SECURING  RE-ORDERS  FROM  A  CUSTOMER  LIST         .          49 
By  J.  Harry  Selz, 
President,  Selz,  Schwab  &  Company 

VII      FIXING  ON  A  RETAIL  POLICY 52 

By  Herbert  A.  Ballou, 

Proprietor,  The  Ballou  Paint  Store 

VIII      CAMPAIGNING  FOR  ORDERS  BY  TELEPHONE       .        .          63 
By  Tyson  Cook 

II— ORGANIZING  AND  MANAGING 
THE  SALES  FORCE 

Editorial  by  Walter  H.  Cottingham 77 

IX      HIRING  AND  HANDLING  SALESMEN     ....          79 
By  W.  A.  Waterbury. 

Sales  Manager,  A.  B.  Dick  Company 

X     TEAM  WORK  AMONG  SALESMEN         ....          88 
By  W.  A.  Waterbury, 

Sales  Manager,  A.  B.  Dick  Company 

XI     USING  CONTESTS  TO  SPUR  ON  SALESMEN  ...          93 
By  Walter  H.  Cottingham, 
President,The  Sherwin-Williams  Company 

XII     WORKING  WITH  THE  HOUSE 102 

By  William  F.  Hypes, 
Sales  Manager,  Marshall  Field  &  Company 

XIII  POINTS  TO  WATCH  IN  THE  EXPENSE  ACCOUNT         .        109 

By  W.  A.  Waterbury, 
Sales  Manager,  A.  B.  Dick  Company 

XIV  MAKING  A  SALES  CONVENTION  PAY          .        .        .        116 

By  W.  C.  Holman, 

Formerly  Advertising  Manager  and  Director, 
National  Cash  Register  Company 


CONTENTS 


XV     INCREASING  STORE  SALES  BY  QUOTA        .       .        ,        128 
By  Edward  Mott  Woolley 

III— DEVELOPING  THE  KNACK 
OF  SELLING 

Editorial  by  E.  C.  Simmons  •         137 

^    XVI      How  TO  TRAIN  YOURSELF  TO  SELL  ....        139 
By  W.  A.  Waterbury, 

Sales  Manager,  A.  B.  Dick  Company 

XVII      WHEN  THE  SALESMAN  GOES  TO  SCHOOL   .        .        .        140 
By  B.  C.  Bean 

XVIII      PERSONALITY  IN  SELLING 154 

By  Alexander  H.  Revell. 
President,  A.  H.  Revell  &  Company 

XIX     USING  COOPERATION  TO  BUILD  SALESPEOPLE    .        .        160 
By  Frank  M.  Low, 
Of  Frank  M.  Low  Company 

IV— BUILDING  UP  ROAD  AND  RETAIL 
TRADE 

Editorial  by  Henry  B.  Joy 171 

XX      SELLING  FOR  FUTURE  BUSINESS        ....        173 

By  H.  Wentworth  James 

XXI      CAPACITY  ORDERS  THAT  KEEP  OUT  COMPETITION    .        170 
By  William  F.  Hypes, 
Sales  Manager,  Marshall  Field  &  Company 

XXII      How  TO  SELL  SPECIALTIES 185 

By  A.  L.  McBain 

XXIII      MAKING  ONE  STORE  PURCHASE  SELL  ANOTHER       .        193 
By  George  L.  Louis 


FORMS  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FORM 

I  ASSEMBLING   THE   BALES   FIGURES 26 

II  LISTING  INQUIRIES 26 

HI       KEEPING  TAB  ON   AGENTS 28 

IV       WAYS  TO  RECORD  HELP  GIVEN  THE  AGENT          ...  28 

V  COUPON    BOOKS   FOR   PROFITABLE   LINES      .            .            .            .  57 

VI  REACHING  THE  OUT-OF-TOWN  CUSTOMER    ....  59 

VII  TEACHING  THE  SALESMAN  TO  WATCH   EXPENSES          .           .  105 
riGURE 

I        HOW  TO   FIT  THE  SALES  PLAN   TO  YOUB  MARKET      .           .  19 

II  GATHERING  FIGURES  BY  WHICH   TO   PLAN  YOUR  CAMPAIGN  24 

III  HOW  TO  MAKE  YOUR  MARKET  YIELD  MORE        ...  37 

IV  AN   ADVERTISEMENT  SCHOOL  BOYS  WORKED   TO   GET              .  53 
V       A  NOVELTY  THAT  ADVERTISED  THE  STORE          ...  55 

VI  HOW  TO  RUN  A  SALES  CONVENTION             .           *           .           .  118 

VII  HANDLING   THE   RETAIL  SALES    FORCE          .            .           .           .  131 

VIII  TRAINING  YOURSELF   TO  SELL 141 


CARRYING  CONVICTION  TO 
THE  BUYER 

By  George  L.  Louis 

IN  law,  the  burden  of  proof  rests  with  the  plaintiff. 
The  plaintiff  must  bring  the  charge,  and  must  sus- 
tain it.  A  conviction  can  only  be  determined  upon  the 
direct  or  circumstantial  evidence  that  the  plaintiff  de- 
velops. 

In  business  these  same  principles  are  involved,  and  we 
find  parallel  conditions.  The  seller,  the  plaintiff,  enters 
specific  charges  against  the  buyer,  the  defendant.  It  is 
alleged  that  the  defendant  is  not  clothing  himself  with 
the  smartest,  most  serviceable,  and  most  economical  ap- 
parel ;  or  that  he  does  not  consume  the  most  nourishing 
cereal,  ham  or  syrup ;  or  that  because  he  does  not  buy 
Blank's  furniture  or  pianos,  he  is  not  equipping  hia 
home  to  the  best  advantage. 

But  here  the  similarity  between  law  and  business  stops 
abruptly.  In  law,  the  plaintiff  must  prove  such  serious 
allegations;  in  business,  curiously,  the  seller-plaintiff 
turns  to  the  buyer-defendant  and  climaxes  his  speech  by 
saying:  "Prove  the  charges  against  yourself!  Do  it 
now.  Don't  accept  a  substitute!  Prove  that  our  goods 
are  what  we  claim!" 

The  result :  the  buyer  who  acts  in  the  double  capacity 
of  defendant  and  jury,  escapes  conviction,  because  he  is 
not  convinced.  The  seller  rests  his  case,  with  only  half 


10 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

his  evidence  in.  He  assumes  that  the  buyer  is  straight- 
way going  to  some  store,  there  to  examine  and  buy  the 
merchandise  that  will  demonstrate  to  him  (the  buyer) 
that  the  seller's  charges  are  well  based  and  true. 

Now  is  it  any  more  logical  or  sane  to  shift  the  burden 
of  proof  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  buyer  in  business 
than  it  would  be  to  turn  it  upon  the  defendant  in  law? 
Should  it  be  left  to  the  buyer,  who,  by  the  very  nature 
of  things,  is  bound  to  be  on  the  defensive,  to  prove  the 
claims  of  the  seller? 

Yet  the  larger  percentage  of  sellers,  both  wholesalers 
and  retailers,  throw  this  burden  of  proof  on  the  buyers. 
But  the  notable  success  of  many  manufacturers,  jobbers 
and  dealers  who  are  wisely  assuming  the  burden  of  proof, 
is  strong  evidence  that  their  plan  is  the  better. 

BUYING  puts  confidence  to  the  test — the  setter  guards 
his  interests  when  he  substantiates  his  claims  and 
cheerfully  assumes  the  burden  of  proof. 

Buying  is  nothing  more  than  the  climax  of  confidence. 
And  how,  I  ask,  can  confidence  be  more  easily,  more  de- 
cisively, more  effectively  and  more  permanently  gained 
and  held  than  when  the  seller  substantiates  his  claims? 

From  the  manufacturer's  and  jobber's  viewpoint,  what 
are  the  most  effective  burden-of-proof  methods  of  ap- 
proach to  retailers  and  consumers?  To  determine  the 
most  practical  and  authoritative  answer  to  this  question, 
I  made  a  thorough  inquiry  among  quite  a  number  of 
large  manufacturers,  and  was  given  actual  evidence  in 
sales  and  profits  that  showed  the  result  of  the  wrong  and 
right  methods  in  selling. 

Sending  out  goods  on  consignment  to  the  retailer 
places  the  burden  of  proof  absolutely  and  entirely  upon 
the  manufacturer  or  jobber.  But  this  is  a  practice  ap- 


GETTING  BEHIND  THE  GOODS 11 

plicable  only  in  a  limited  number  of  cases  because  of  its 
detrimental  effect.  The  offer  " return  what  you  can't 
sell"  throws  the  burden  too  hard  upon  the  producer, 
and  relieves  the  dealer  of  all  responsibility.  This  method, 
it  was  found,  so  lessened  the  selling  activity  of  the  deal- 
ers and  allowed  such  a  free  and  unwarranted  return  of 
goods,  that  it  is  no  longer  favored  and  has  been  pretty 
well  eliminated  as  a  practical  selling  plan. 

Some  wholesalers  have  modified  the  consignment  idea 
in  a  very  successful  way  which  still  assumes  the  burden 
of  proof.  One  manufacturer  does  it  in  this  way:  the 
goods  ordered  by  the  retailer  are  forwarded  under  the 
condition  that  all  or  part  of  the  order  may  be  returned 
and  exchanged  for  other  goods  within  a  certain  time 
limit.  This  holds  the  dealer  rigidly  to  his  original  order ; 
but  if  he  finds  that  certain  articles  do  not  sell  as  readily 
as  others,  he  can  make  exchanges  for  the  better  selling 
ones.  This  protects  the  wholesaler  and  does  not  tempt 
the  retailer  to  relax  his  selling  energies;  and  yet  the 
burden  of  proof  rests  entirely  with  the  producer. 

A  general  guarantee  which  only  pretends  to  assume 
the  burden  of  proof  is  utterly  ineffective.  One  manu- 
facturer, in  his  trade  journal  advertising,  makes  this 
statement  in  striking  bold  face,  underscored:  "We 
guarantee  that  you  will  sell  more  of  our  furniture  and 
make  a  bigger  profit  than  on  any  other  furniture  you 
have  handled.  Send  in  an  order  for  the  table  and  chairs 
shown  here,  and  you  will  quickly  find  this  out."  But 
inasmuch  as  no  stipulation  is  made  of  what  the  producer 
will  do  if  volume  and  profits  do  not  show  larger,  the  so- 
called  guarantee  gets  but  scant  consideration. 

A  large  jobbing  house  undertakes  the  burden  of  proof 
in  a  very  tangible  way.  Attached  to  a  letter  sent  to 
retailers  is  an  order  amounting  to  seventy-five  dollars. 


12  _  THE    SELLING    PLAN  _ 

In  part,  the  letter  reads:  "We  are  certain  that  you  can 
dispose  of  the  corsets  shown  on  the  attached  order,  both 
quickly  and  profitably.  We  are  so  sure  of  this  that  we 
are  willing  to  invest  some  of  our  own  money  in  proving 
it.  If  you  will  send  in  this  order,  we  will  run  a  series  of 
four  advertisements  in  your  local  paper  for  you,  and 
supply  you  with  striking  window  cards  and  helpful 
literature.  '  ' 

This  appeal  wins  responses.  Of  course,  the  jobber 
plays  safe  with  this  order.  In  the  first  place,  the  letters 
are  mailed  only  to  small-town  dealers  where  newspaper 
rates  are  rather  low;  secondly,  these  orders  by  mail,  in- 
curring only  small  selling  expense,  allow  a  good  margin 
for  advertising  work.  The  offer  to  stand  the  advertising 
expense  impresses  the  dealer  with  the  fact  that  this  job- 
ber is  pretty  sure  of  his  goods,  or  he  would  not  be  willing 
to  spend  his  own  money  in  exploiting  them. 


ETTING  behind  your  goods  is  a  delicate  undertaking 
vJT  —  be  careful  to  show  your  own  confidence  in  them 
and  still  keep  the  dealer  s  selling  interest. 

Another  concern,  manufacturing  toilet  preparations, 
made  this  burden-of  -proof  offer  to  druggists:  "If  you 
will  make  a  special  window  display  of  our  goods  for  one 
week,  advertise  the  various  articles  in  your  local  news- 
paper for  that  time,,  have  an  attractive  inside  counter 
display  and  have  your  clerks  draw  special  attention  to 
these  goods,  we  will  guarantee  that  one-half  of  your 
order  will  be  sold  in  that  time,  and  will  take  back  what- 
ever remains,  at  your  request.  '  ' 

This  was  practically  a  consignment,  stimulating  the 
druggist  to  sell  the  goods  according  to  the  conditions  im- 
posed. With  such  dealer  activity  back  of  the  goods,  the 
manufacturer  felt  reasonably  confident  that  they  would 


GETTING  BEHIND  THE  GOODS 13 

sell  quickly  and  in  gratifying  volume.  Out  of  the  thir- 
teen hundred  drug  stores  that  gave  orders,  less  than  one- 
half  of  one  per  cent  returned  any  goods. 

To  bear  the  burden  of  proof  in  selling  for  the  retailer 
is  always  a  delicate  undertaking.  Where  it  allows  the 
return  of  goods  with  condition  and  removes  the  selling 
incentive  of  the  merchant,  it  is  more  harmful  than  effect- 
ive. But  where  the  manufacturer  or  jobber  can  show 
in  some  tangible  form,  as  in  the  instances  given,  his  own 
confidence  in  his  wares,  and  yet  not  lessen  the  dealer's 
selling  interest,  success  usually  results. 

The  burden  of  proof  is  ignored  more  flagrantly,  and 
has  been  developed  more  successfully,  in  the  wholesaler's 
appeal  to  the  consumer.  Here  we  find  many  crude  efforts 
to  shift  the  load  to  the  buyer  and  a  few  splendid  plans 
where  the  burden  of  proof  is  assumed  by  the  maker. 
The  manufacturer,  and  the  consumer,  with  whom  the 
sales  are  finally  culminated  via  the  retailer,  are  so  far 
separated  and  so  unknown  to  each  other,  that  demonstra- 
tion is  quite  necessary  to  facilitate  sales  and  lessen 
selling  cost. 

"Let  us  prove  it  to  you  at  our  expense,"  forms  the 
most  powerful  selling  argument  to  the  consumer.  The 
most  vivid  and  emphatic  claims  will  not  carry  the  force 
and  conviction  that  this  one  sentence  conveys.  Even  if 
the  possible  buyer  does  not  bestir  himself  to  have  the 
proof  made,  the  fact  that  such  an  offer  is  made  gives  him 
confidence  in  the  goods.  He  will  often  buy  on  the 
strength  of  the  proposal  alone. 

The  guarantee  has  been  developed  in  a  most  practical 
and  convincing  way  by  hosiery  manufacturers.  There 
are  half  a  dozen  or  more  concerns  which  issue  dated  guar- 
antee slips  with  each  pair  of  hose  sold  by  the  retailer. 
These  guarantee  tags  permit  the  return  of  the  hosiery  to 


14 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

the  store  in  exchange  for  a  new  pair  if  they  wear  out  or 
rip  within  a  given  time  varying  from  three  to  six  months. 
One  company  goes  even  further  in  bearing  the  burden  of 
proof  of  its  product.  It  boldly  offers  "If  Blank-knit 
socks  do  not  give  you  thorough,  absolute  and  entire  satis- 
faction,, you  can  have  your  money  back,  or  we  will  re- 
place the  socks  free  of  charge. ' '  There  is  no  time  limit 
to  the  guarantee. 

Shirt  manufacturers,  too,  are  gradually  taking  up  the 
burden  of  proof  in  their  selling  campaigns.  One  house 
places  this  label  in  each  shirt  they  sell  through  the  re- 
tailer :  ' '  This  fabric  has  been  treated  by  our  own  special 
processes  which  double  the  average  wear  and  make  the 
colors  laundry-proof.  The  dealer  will  give  you  back 
your  money  if  it  ever  fades."  One  shirt  company  has 
even  gone  so  far  as  to  offer  to  buy  back  any  shirt  that 
fades  at  twenty-five  cents  more  than  the  purchase  price. 
This,  however,  is  unnecessarily  generous.  To  prove  out 
his  goods,  the  manufacturer  need  not  go  further  than  to 
tender  the  original  purchase  price.  Too  generous  an 
offer  creates  doubt,  instead  of  conviction. 

Requiring  a  small  payment,  from  one  cent  to  ten  cents, 
from  the  prospective  buyer  to  defray  part  of  the  expense 
of  the  bur den-of -proof  free  offer  is  only  advisable  for 
one  purpose — to  eliminate  the  curiosity  seeker  who  does 
not  intend  to  buy. 

RETAILERS  assume  the  burden  of  proof  by  either 
cheerfully  taking  back  goods  or  guaranteeing  them, 
and  it  is  for  you  to  choose  between  these  methods. 

For  the  retailer,  assumption  of  the  burden  of  proof 
means  either  a  broad  guarantee  or  the  taking  back  of 
purchases.  There  is  a  decided  difference  between  the 
two  methods.  Although  the  guarantee  may  involve  the 


GETTING  BEHIND  THE  GOODS 15 

return  of  goods,  the  latter  action  does  not  necessarily 
bring  the  guarantee  into  play.  The  return  of  goods, 
under  certain  necessary  restrictions,  is  the  highest  type 
of  the  burden-of -proof  selling  in  the  retail  realm.  The 
guarantee  must,  by  the  very  nature  of  its  mission,  be  a 
more  or  less  conditional  offer. 

The  general  statement  "We  guarantee  absolute  satis- 
faction ' '  allows  two  interpretations,  the  dealer 's  and  the 
buyer's.  "We  guarantee  our  garments  to  give  satisfac- 
tion until  worn  out,"  is  the  appeal  of  a  retailer  of 
woman's  apparel.  But  who  is  to  judge  when  a  garment 
is  worn  out  ? 

Retailing  on  the  instalment  plan  is  a  form  of  burden- 
of -proof  selling  which  is  convincing  and  effective.  It  is 
logical  to  reason  that  unless  the  seller  has  the  utmost  con- 
fidence in  his  wares,  he  would  not  dare  to  sell  them  on 
time  payments. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  successful  of  retail  stores 
has  a  well-defined  policy  on  the  guarantee  and  return  of 
goods.  It  does  not  guarantee  any  of  the  merchandise 
that  it  sells.  It  holds  that  a  retailer 's  guarantee  can  not 
be  entirely  sincere.  Were  it  possible  to  give  all  the 
merchandise  it  handles  preliminary  tests,  such  as  ordi- 
nary usage  would  involve,  and  if  under  such  tests  the 
merchandise  should  prove  flawless,  then,  this  store  insists, 
it  would  apply  the  guarantee.  But  even  an  unconditional 
guarantee  from  the  producer  will  not  warrant  reitera- 
tion to  the  final  purchaser. 

Should  a  flaw  develop  and  the  goods  be  returned  under 
the  guarantee,  the  managers  believe  that  the  store,  not 
the  manufacturer,  will  be  held  for  the  fault.  Though 
the  goods  have  been  returned  and  the  affair  settled  satis- 
factorily to  the  customer,  the  store  has  suffered  in  the 
opinion  of  this  customer.  Its  guarantee,  its  binding 


16 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

statement,  has  been  found  to  be  false.  The  conditions 
surrounding  the  wear  or  use  of  an  article  do  not  justify 
an  unrestricted  guarantee  of  satisfaction,  because  such 
a  guarantee  is  at  best  speculative.  And  the  guarantee 
that  is  in  any  way  conditioned,  does  not  serve  its  pur- 
pose. Instead  of  a  guarantee,  therefore,  this  store  per- 
mits the  return  or  exchange  of  unsatisfactory  goods. 

The  decisive  manner  in  which  this  concern  undertakes 
the  burden  of  proof  was  illustrated  in  the  sale  of  an  ex- 
pensive vase  recently.  "It  is  guaranteed  not  to  leak,  of 
course?"  the  customer  asked,  assured  of  an  affirmative 
answer.  "No,"  replied  the  salesman,  "we  can  not  guar- 
antee it."  Surprised,  the  customer  was  about  to  cancel 
the  order,  when  the  clerk  informed  her  that  it  could  be 
returned  if  it  did  not  prove  entirely  satisfactory. 

This  return  privilege  not  only  covers  the  guarantee 
without  its  detracting  phases,  but  assumes  the  burden 
of  proof  far  more  definitely  and  decisively.  In  its  ad- 
vertisements a  great  London  store  has  taken  a  similar 
stand  on  this  point. 

"No  single  transaction,"  this  announcement  ran,  "is 
considered  closed  until  the  customer  is  completely  satis-' 
fied.  If  it  is  not  right,  this  store  will  make  it  so. "  Is  it 
surprising  that  this  establishment  has  gained  the  confi- 
dence of  English  buyers,  despite  its  American  origin  and 
methods  ? 


HPHE  biggest  men  in  the  world  today  are  sellers.  You  may 
•*•  not  know  them  as  such.  They  may  call  themselves  bank- 
ers, engineers,  lawyers  or  ministers.  In  reality  they  are  sell- 
ing something;  maybe  their  own  or  another's  services.  As 
they  succeed  so  are  they  paid.  The  best  salesman  commands 
the  highest  price. 

— Edwin  W.  Moore 

President,  The  Electric  Cable  Company 


II 


HOW  TO  CHOOSE  AND 
DEVELOP  A  MARKET 

By  Charles  E.  Churchill 

IT  IS  a  favorite  saying  around  a  great  Eastern  plant, 
"If  we  are  about  to  build  a  fifty  thousand  dollar 
addition  to  the  factory,  we  call  in  the  heads  of  all  de- 
partments interested."  In  other  words,  they  make  an 
exhaustive  study  of  the  situation  before  even  bringing 
an  architect  into  consultation.  They  make  a  plan  and 
arrange  all  the  details  in  advance. 

When  the  foundations  are  in,  the  workmen  do  not  stop 
to  inquire  whether  the  walls  are  to  be  brick  or  frame ; 
they  refer  to  the  plan.  When  the  roof-boards  are  on, 
the  workmen  do  not  stop  to  inquire  whether  they  shall 
use  tile  or  slate,  they  refer  to  the  plan.  They  rely  on 
the  plan  to  definitely  locate  even  the  smallest  machine  the 
extension  is  to  house. 

Many  good  factories  have  doubtless  been  built  without 
plans.  We  know  from  experience,  however,  that  such 
factories  are  not  so  conveniently  laid  out  or  so  econom- 
ically constructed  as  though  a  plan  had  been  thought  out 
in  advance,  point  by  point,  item  by  item.  And  so, 
although  great  businesses  have  been  built  up  without 
plans  and  specifications,  they  have  been  built  up  in 
spite  of  this  fact  and  not  because  of  it. 

When  you  spend  fifty  thousand  dollars  on-  a  selling 
campaign,  do  you  have  a  plan?  Some  two  or  three 


18 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

men  design  window  displays.  Do  they  fit  into  a 
plan?  Perhaps  not,  but  they  are  good  windows!  Some 
one  man,  or  two,  order  ten  thousand  booklets.  Do 
they  conform  to  a  plan  ?  Not  exactly,  but  they  are  well 
printed,  beautifully  illustrated,  and  will  help  sell  goods ! 
Some  one  man,  or  two,  or  three,  put  out  a  line  of 
posters,  or  showcards.  Are  they  guided  by  the  plan? 
No,  but  it  is  high  art  in  posters  and  showcards,  and 
cannot  help  increasing  your  sales !  When  the  time  draws 
near  for  magazine  advertising,  designs  are  submitted, 
carefully  considered,  and  the  best  selected — all  with 
reference  to  the  plan  ?  No,  but  they  are  designed  by  the 
best  advertising  agency  in  the  United  States,  and  must 
bring  results ! 

MAKING  each  item  of  your  next  selling  campaign  a 
component  part  of  a  comprehensive  plan  will  not 
make  it  cost  any  more  and  may  save  you  money, 

Manifestly,  each  item  of  the  selling  plan  will  cost  no 
more  because  it  is  a  component  part  of  a  plan.  We 
must  concede  that  a  booklet,  a  poster,  a  showcard,  a 
window  display,  a  magazine  or  newspaper  advertisement, 
which  fits  into  a  selling  plan  and  performs  its  part,  will 
accomplish  more  than  if  sent  out  to  battle  for  trade  by  it- 
self, alone  and  unsupported. 

The  selling  end  of  any  business  is  so  big  that  it  sinks 
the  business  or  saves  it.  You  can 't  sell  unless  your  goods 
and  your  prices  are  right;  and  your  season's  product 
should  not  be  made  without  consultation  with  the  sales 
department — the  men  who  are  to  sell  the  goods. 

There  are  manufacturers  who  seem  to  go  on  the  prin- 
ciple that  it's  the  business  of  the  sales  end  to  sell  what 
the  factory  prepares.  This  can  often  be  done ;  but  if  you 
are  working  to  a  plan,  all  interested  should  be  con- 


MARKET    DEVELOPMENT 


19 


suited  when  the  plan  is  made.  I  do  not  say  that  the 
selling  plan  should  be  completed  before  the  goods,  but  I 
do  say  that  the  selling  force  should  be  consulted  before 
the  designs  or  models  are  complete,  certainly  before  the 
goods  are  made. 

There  is  an  incalculable  advantage  to  calling  in  the 


FINDING 

AND 
ANALYZING 

YOUR 
MARKET 


f  GEOGRAPHICAL 
LOCATION 


GROUPS  OF 

POSSIBLE 

BUYERS 


SELLING 
METHODS 


IC4TIE9 
SMALL  TOWNS 
RURALeaCTlONS 

MEW  OR  WOMEN 
MARRIED  on  UNMARRIED 

WEALTHY.  WCJ.L-TOOO  OR 

WAfiC    EARNING 

YOUNG.  MIDOLC  AXJCD  OR 

CLOERLV 

OFFICE,  FACTOR*.  CITY, 

RUBAL  OR  P»«rKB3IONAL 


CLIMATE 

FINANCIAL  CONBITK3NS    IN 


CLASSES  OF  PflO*rCCT3 
METHOD*  AMD  RESOURCES 

OF  COMPETITORS 


FIGURE  I:     You  will  find  that  your  sales  campaign  involves  the  three 

questions  raised  by  this  chart — where?  when?  and  how?     To  make  your 

plans  fit  your  market,  check  them  against  the  factors  here  suggested 

sales  force  early.  It  gives  more  time  for  the  preparation 
of  the  selling  campaign.  Often  and  often  the  sales  man- 
ager is  advised  of  his  new  lines  on  '  '  the  last  day  in  the 
afternoon. '  '  Then  he  is  supposed  to  be  able  to  make  his 
plan,  get  out  his  literature,  educate  his  salesmen,  pre- 
pare their  samples,  and  begin  to  harvest  the  orders  on 
the  first  day  of  the  season. 

This  is  a  survival,  no  doubt,  of  the  exploded  idea  that 
a  manufacturer's  chief  business  is  to  produce  goods — 
an  echo  of  the  days  when  the  salesman  fought  his  un- 


20 THE     SELLING    PLAN 

supported  battle  in  his  territory  and  took  for  his  reward 
the  prize  the  house  disregarded — the  allegiance  and  con- 
fidence of  the  trade. 

That  so  many  sales  campaigns  thus  launched  are  suc- 
cessful speaks  volumes  for  the  ability  of  the  sales  force. 
That  they  are  successful,  however,  does  not  prove  that 
the  success  might  not  have  been  larger  or  attained  with 
less  effort  and  at  a  greatly  decreased  cost,  had  ample 
time  been  given  to  the  preparation  of  a  complete  selling 
plan,  worked  out  with  consideration  for  all  the  mediums 
which  can  be  employed. 

What  are  the  separate  elements  of  such  a  selling  plan  ? 
They  are : 

Geographical  Location 
Groups  of  Possible  Buyers 
Selling  Methods 
Advertising 
Magazines 
Newspapers 
House  Organs 
Posters,   Outdoor  Displays,  Street   Car  and   Show 

Cards 

Circulars  and  Booklets 
Sales  Letters 
Window  Displays 
Salesmen 

With  an  old  and  established  house  having  a  com- 
paratively thorough  distribution,  the  elements  of  this 
selling  plan  could  be  put  into  operation  in  almost  any 
sequence,  or  in  fact,  all  at  the  same  time.  With  a  house 
having  distribution  less  perfectly  organized,  those  parts 
of  the  plan  which  will  help  it  to  cover  its  best  territory 
should  be  used  first.  It  is  for  you  to  determine  what  ele- 
ments you  can  best  use  to  advantage. 


MARKET    DEVELOPMENT 


It  largely  depends  upon  the  circumstances  and  the 
character  of  your  product  whether  you  shall  enter  the 
market  simultaneously  at  widely  scattered  points  and  de- 
velop your  sales  campaign  extensively,  or  whether  you 
shall,  during  the  first  years,  sell  only  in  the  home  field 
near  the  factory  and  gradually  extend  this  field,  develop- 
ing sales  intensively.  The  extensive  plan  is  preferable 
if  your  product  is  quite  new  and  has  no  particular  es- 
tablished demand  in  the  home  field.  It  requires  more 
capital  than  gradual  extension  and  is  to  a  certain  degree 
speculative.  But  with  it  you  secure  richer  returns  — 
the  cream  of  the  trade  of  a  wide  area.  When  the  in- 
tensive plan  is  used,  the  buying  spirit  must  be  greatly 
stimulated  at  one  point.  It  is  possible  to  use  a  combina- 
tion of  the  two  methods. 

BUYERS  are  divided  into  well  defined  classes  —  locate 
the  groups  to  which  your  product  will  most  strongly 
appeal  before  launching  your  sales  campaign. 

When  planning  the  sales  campaign  it  is  essential  that, 
besides  the  geographical  location,  you  consider  carefully 
the  groups  of  buyers  you  intend  to  interest.  It  may  be 
that  you  should  center  the  campaign  on  unmarried  peo- 
ple or  young  people.  The  wealthy,  the  well-to-do  and  the 
wage-earning  classes  must  be  approached  in  different 
ways  and  often  with  distinct  products.  The  middle  aged, 
the  married  and  the  elderly  are  best  reached  by  plans 
fitted  to  their  particular  demands.  The  office,  factory, 
city,  rural  and  professional  classes  each  have  clearly  de- 
fined demands  which  may  at  once  set  limits  to  your 
campaign. 

Before  the  final  signature  of  approval  is  written  under 
the  sales  campaign  plan,  the  financial  conditions  in  the 
territory  to  be  entered  should  have  been  carefully  con- 


THE    SELLING    PLAN 


sidered  and  the  resources  of  competitors  checked  with 
your  own  funds.  Rival  methods  must  be  compared  with 
your  plans  in  the  hope  of  anticipating  weaknesses  and 
mistakes.  Last  of  all,  the  climate  to  be  encountered 
should  be  either  capitalized  or  discounted,  according  to 
its  predicted  effect  on  your  product. 


A/I  ANY  years  ago  I  conducted  a  general  store  in  Connecti- 
*  •••  cut.  I  made  it  a  point  to  impress  on  my  clerks  that 
careful  attendance  and  personal  treatment  must  be  accorded 
every  visitor  to  that  store  no  matter  what  the  amount  of  a 
purchase  or  even  if  no  purchase  at  all  was  made.  I  insisted 
that  &  customer  who  spent  ten  cents  should  be  given  just  as 
close  attention  and  as  patient  attendance  as  the  customer  who 
spent  ten  dollars;  for  very  often  the  ten-cent  customer  of  today 
develops  into  the  buyer  of  the  morrow  whose  every  bill  totals 
far  more  than  that  of  the  ten-dollar  purchaser  of  the  present. 
Now,  the  clerk  who  had  that  idea  innately — who  did  not  need 
to  be  told — was  the  man  with  personality.  He  was  the  em- 
ployee who  could  attract  customers  and  hold  them. 

— George  H.  Barbour 

First  Vice-President,  Michigan  Stove  Company 


Ill 

PLANNING  NEXT  YEAR'S 
SALES 


By  Melville  W.  Mir 
President,  Dodge  Manufacturing  Company 


WE  ALL  know  that  at  the  end  of  next  year  we  can 
look  back  and  figure  up  the  total  business  we 
have  done  this  year,  the  profit  we  have  made.  But  we 
don't  realize  that  the  volume  of  next  year's  business,  and 
especially  the  amount  of  next  year's  profits,  depends  on 
how  accurately  we  are  able  to-  pre-judge  the  coming 
year's  business,  plan  it  and  prepare  for  it.  For  years 
I  have  made  it  part  of  my  organization  work  to  plan 
next  year's  sales.  Organization  work,  I  say — for  to  ac- 
curately and  effectively  lay  out  the  coming  season 's  busi- 
ness requires  that  the  organization  and  systems  of  the 
concern  be  such  that  they  will  adapt  themselves  to  this 
purpose.  Sales  and  factory  organization,  sales  records 
and  reports,  cost  systems  and  stock  systems,  selling  meth- 
ods and  shop  practice — must  all  do  their  share  in  making 
the  look-ahead  possible. 

That  an  accurate  forecast  is  possible — that  next  year's 
sales  can  be  determined  in  detail  and  prepared  for — I 
have  proved  to  myself  time  and  again.  It  is  this  system 
that  once  told  us  just  the  appropriate  time  to  launch 
our  general  advertising  campaign,  and  so  increase  our 
sales  thirty-eight  per  cent. 

Planning  ahead  for  the  coming  year  cannot  begin  the 
last  month  of  the  year.  It  should  start  years  before. 


84 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

For  a  planning-f or-next-year  system  should  have  an 
accurate  basis :  figures — cold,  hard,  mathematical  figures 
— and  facts — proved,  recorded  facts. 

Our  records  of  business  run  back  years;   definitely 
tabulated  as  to  sales  by  territories  and  lines  of  goods. 


FIGURE  II:  Tabulated  statistics,  after  being  drawn  from  the  four  sources 

here  shown,  are  split  under  three  headings  into  the  charts  from  which  next 

year's  sales  are  predicted.     When  the  sales  figure  has  been  set,  its  influence 

on  quotas,  production,  expansion  and  financing  is  worked  out 

They  are  the  basis  of  our  forecasts.  Like  the  sources  of 
all  accomplishments  that  look  like  genius,  they  are  just 
everyday  knowledge. 

Our  fiscal  year  ends  December  31;  the  stockholders' 
meeting  comes  in  February.  During  January  we  put 
into  definite  shape  our  plans  for  next  year.  These  plans 
fork  in  three  directions:  we  determine  next  year's  sales 


NEXT    YEAR'S    TRADE 25 

and  lay  out  the  selling  campaign ;  we  study  our  manufac- 
turing facilities  and  see  that  the  factory  has  the  capacity 
to  turn  out  the  sales  quota;  we  plan  for  expansion — 
new  lines  of  manufacture,  new  facilities  for  increased 
output. 

Planning  ahead  starts  with  a  determination  of  prob- 
able sales.  For  selling  the  goods  is  the  last  step  in  the 
process  of  manufacture,  while  the  first  is  figuring  the 
amount  to  manufacture.  There  is  no  wisdom  in  prepar- 
ing to  make  what  can't  be  profitably  sold. 

FIGURES  of  previous  years'  sales  are  as  use/id  to 
the  manufacturer  as  harbor  soundings  and  charts 
to  the  sea  captaint  if  they  are  properly  tabulated. 

The  figures  of  last  year's  sales  are  the  basis  for  judg- 
ing next  season's  business.  These  figures  are  so  tabu- 
lated that  I  know  the  exact  sales  made  in  each  territory 
and  through  each  agency,  by  lines  of  goods  and  by 
periods.  My  goods  are  sold  through  two  hundred  and 
forty  agents  covering  the  whole  country,  through  sales- 
men in  our  branch  houses  in  the  large  industrial  centers, 
and  through  salesmen  working  direct  from  the  home 
office.  The  sales  are  classified  into  thirty-eight  different 
lines  and  are  recorded  under  thirty-eight  corresponding 
sales  accounts. 

A  record  of  sales  is  kept  for  each  one  of  these  various 
sales  units  classified  according  to  these  thirty-eight  ac- 
counts. The  first  source  for  our  records  is  the  orders  as 
they  came  in  from  the  various  agents  and  salesmen.  A 
sheet  is  given  to  the  record  of  each  sales  unit  for  one 
month,  classified  according  to  the  thirty-eight  sales  ac- 
counts and  tabulated  so  as  to  show  comparisons  with  the 
previous  month,  with  the  same  month  of  the  previous 
year,  and  with  the  total  of  the  current  and  the  previous 


THE    SELLING    PLAN 


year.  The  sheets  for  each  sales  unit  are  bound  together 
in  a  pamphlet  so  as  to  bring  together  a  complete  record 
for  a  year. 

These  sheets  keep  me  informed  of  the  exact  conditions 
in  every  agency,  territory  and  line  of  goods.     I  keep 


FORMS  I  and  II:      The  large  form  tabulates  records  of  each  line  for 

executive  comparison.      The  small  form  watches  inquiries  from  the  time 

they  are  received  until  they  are  referred  for  handling 

track  of  increases  and  decreases  in  the  sales  of  the  agents 
and  the  lines. 

But  the  figures  alone  do  not  tell  the  "why."  They 
show  what  is  going  on,  but  do  not  give  the  reasons.  So 
another  source  of  information  is  necessary — information 
concerning  business  conditions;  the  developments  in  the 
trade  and  among  customers ;  the  agents'  methods ;  and  the 
conditions  which  surround  transactions.  This  informa- 
tion I  gather  from  salesmen's  and  agents'  reports,  trade 
papers,  personal  observation,  letters,  and  special  reports. 


NEXT    YEAR'S    TRADE 27 

I  watch  especially  the  causes  that  lead  to  an  increase 
in  the  sales  in  any  lines  of  goods  or  territory,  for  in 
planning  next  year's  work  it  is  valuable  to  know  if 
market  conditions  are  going  to  continue  and  whether  the 
influences  and  methods  that  have  brought  increases  in 
one  section  can  not  be  duplicated  in  other  territories  and 
agencies.  It  is  not  safe  for  an  executive  to  lay  down  the 
volume  of  business  for  the  coming  year;  he  must  mark 
out  the  lines  and  plan  the  methods  that  will  bring  the 
estimated  business. 

With  these  sources  of  information,  then — figures  of 
previous  years*  sales  and  a  knowledge  of  trade  condi- 
tions— the  next  year's  sales  quota  is  determined.  Each 
unit  of  the  organization  is  taken  up  in  turn.  With  the 
comparative  figures  of  previous  years'  sales  before  me,  I 
call  to  mind  the  conditions  in  a  territory  and  in  a  sales 
unit,  determine  what  pressure  for  additional  sales  can  be 
brought  to  bear,  estimate  what  the  conditions  the  coming 
year  will  probably  be ;  and  fix  the  increase  these  factors 
are  likely  to  bring.  A  sales  quota  for  the  unit  is  then 
set.  After  all,  I  regard  the  most  important  point  in 
planning  next  year's  work  to  be  not  the  determination 
of  the  sales  quota,  but  the  laying  out  of  the  actual 
methods  we  will  pursue  to  help  the  agent  sell  his  quota. 

O  ALES  reports  constitute  commercial  histories  of  terri- 
O  lories  and,  if  watched  by  the  home  office,  help  to  shape 
campaigns  and  guide  appropriations. 

One  of  the  special  sources  of  agent  information  is  an 
agency  record,  kept  apart  from  the  general  sales  records. 
This  card  indicates  at  a  glance  what  the  agent's  quota  of 
sales  has  been  for  several  years,  how  close  he  came  to 
reaching  it,  what  the  conditions  in  his  territory  have 
been,  and  general  facts  regarding  him.  The  record  also 


THE    SELLING    PLAN 


shows  the  definite  aid  in  selling  given  the  agent  by  the 
house — local  advertising,  circular  letters  and  advertising 
literature — and  the  cost. 

Now,  suppose  we  discover  from  our  records  that  we 
have  sold  a  particularly  large  amount  of  some  line  in  a 
territory.  We  find  out  the  methods  by  which  these  sales 
were  made.  If  these  can  be  duplicated  we  tell  our  other 
agents  about  them  and  estimate  how  big  an  increase  in 


AGENTS  RECORD 


ADDRESS, 
OFFICERS. 


.C.  &  FRT    RATI 


NO.  OF  SALESMEN. 


HAILING  LIST. 


ADVERTISING 


COST  VALUE 

ADVERTISING 


PRINTED  MATTER  FURNISHED 


ORM  NO  QUANTITY 


ORM  NO  QUANTITY 


FORMS  III  and  IV:     These  two  small  forms  are  filed  to  indicate  what 
an  agent  is  scheduled  to  do,  what  he  actually  does  and  what  help  he  re- 
ceives from  the  home  office 

their  sales  should  follow.  If  a  line  of  local  advertising 
or  circular  letter  work,  which  we  have  done  for  one 
agent,  has  proved  successful,  we  duplicate  it  among  the 
others.  If  certain  goods  have  been  particularly  profit- 
able we  give  agents  special  methods  for  pushing  them. 
These  cases  affect  the  quota  finally  determined. 

Local  conditions  often  govern  big  sales  and  should  be 


NEXT    YEAR'S    TRADE 29 

considered  in  the  agent's  quota.  Certain  local  changes 
during  the  year  may  have  raised  sales  to  a  point  which 
cannot  be  maintained ;  new  conditions  about  to  material- 
ize may  greatly  increase  the  sales  possibilities. 

Enthusiasm  and  prestige  I  consider  definite  foundation 
stones  for  increases  in  the  sales — provided  that  enthusi- 
asm and  a  respect  for  our  standards  are  instilled  into 
agents.  We  strive  to  awaken  in  the  agent  the  desire  and 
the  initiative  to  increase  his  sales.  This  is  one  of  the 
objects  of  our  publicity  advertising,  of  our  house  organ, 
and  of  our  agents'  conventions. 

And  particularly  we  are  always  pointing  out  to  every 
agent  that  the  very  fact  of  his  being  our  agent  is  an 
asset  to  him ;  and  that  this  asset  increases  in  value  as  his 
sales  increase.  Many  a  time  I  have  told  the  story  of  the 
specialty  agent  in  New  Orleans  who,  when  he  sold  out 
his  business  and  inventoried  his  stocks,  fixtures  and  so 
on,  added  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  reputation — and  got 
it.  The  good-will  of  an  agency  is  nothing  more  than  the 
combination  of  the  agent's  prestige  and  the  standing  of 
the  manufacturer  whose  goods  he  handles. 

EXPANSION  usually  follows  lines  of  least  resistance — 
the  business  tendencies  that  determine  its  advances 
must  be  measured  when  planning  next  year's  sales. 

Besides  laying  out  a  definite  sales  campaign,  the  ques- 
tion of  expansion  always  has  to  be  considered  when  next 
year's  work  is  planned.  Expansion  follows  lines  of  least 
resistance.  Sometimes  service  to  a  customer  suggests  a 
line  of  equipment  which  might  profitably  be  fitted  into 
the  sales  and  manufacturing  campaign.  General  tenden- 
cies in  business  often  open  up  new  possibilities.  A  class 
of  manufacturing  may  have  been  at  a  standstill  for  a 
decade.  Then  because  of  some  big  development  it  will 


SO THE    SELLING    PLAN 

demand  new  and  specialized  equipment.  It  is  dangerous 
to  determine  on  a  marked  increase  in  the  sales  quota 
without  providing  a  corresponding  increase  in  produc- 
tion facilities. 

Expansion,  then,  cannot  be  made  the  moment  the  in- 
creased quota  is  determined,  but  the  plans  should  be 
laid  and  the  way  smoothed  so  that  when  the  increase  does 
come,  facilities  can  be  expanded  rapidly.  For  additional 
orders  are  turned  into  a  loss  rather  than  a  profit  when 
production  in  the  plant  must  be  overstrained  to  handle 
them. 


"C1  VERY  time  you  fail,  o  induce  a  man  to  buy,  leave  him 
•*-^  with  a  smile;  but  go  out  and  sit  down  for  a  serious  think 
by  yourself.  There  has  been  a  reason  for  your  failure.  Find 
it,  therefore,  before  you  risk  another  prospect's  "Wo."  //  the 
fault  was  your  own,  correct  it — forget  the  failure — but  hang 
on  to  the  lesson  it  has  taught. 

— W.  C.  Holman 

Former  Director  and  Advertising  Manager,  National  Cash  Register  Company 


IV 


GETTING  DEALERS  TO  PUSH 
YOUR  LINE 

By  George  L.  Louis 

RE-STANDARDIZATION  in  distribution— in  sell- 
ing and  buying,  in  the  passage  of  merchandise  from 
manufacturer  to  retailer,  from  retailer  to  consumer — has 
begun.  With  it  has  come,  too,  decided  reductions  in 
selling  costs  and  a  proportionate  lowering  of  the  price 
paid  for  his  purchases  by  the  consumer. 

Few  manufacturers  as  yet,  and  relatively  fewer  retail- 
ers, are  aware  of  the  changed  conditions  and  new  meth- 
ods, or  have  recognized  the  opportunity  these  offer  for 
extending  the  business  and  making  it  stable.  But 
the  unqualified  success  of  these  pioneers  warrants  the 
belief  that  their  policies  and  methods  will  ultimately  be 
adopted  by  the  majority  of  our  manufacturers  and  mer- 
chants. An  interesting  study  in  cause  and  effect  is  the 
manner  in  which  the  manufacturer's  innovations  have 
influenced  the  retailer  to  alter  his  store  standards  and 
how  these  changes  have  affected  his  customers. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  to  follow  closely  and  in- 
timately the  development  of  the  selling  plans  of  six  man- 
ufacturers engaged  in  distinct  lines  of  business  and  each 
among  the  largest  and  most  successful  of  his  kind.  To- 
gether these  six  establishments  present  in  fairly  complete 
fashion  the  vital  phases  of  what  I  have  called  the  re- 
standardization  of  merchandising. 


32 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

{ 

No  one  of  them,  however,  has  applied  its  principles  to 
every  department  of  his  distribution  program.  For  the 
purposes  of  this  chapter,  therefore,  the  individual  fea- 
tures which  these  six  concerns  have  developed  most  fully 
have  been  assembled  and  dovetailed  into  a  composite 
whole.  And  because  this  composite  plan  can  be  applied 
to  almost  any  merchandising  business  it  will  be  set  forth 
here  as  a  complete  unit.  The  details  have  been  tried  out 
and  proved  by  manufacturers  of  men 's  clothing,  women 's 
apparel,  hardware  specialties,  toilet  and  drug  prepara- 
tions and  food  stuffs,  who  have  built  up  tremendous  and 
profitable  businesses. 

Four  of  these  six  manufacturers  formerly  conducted 
their  marketing  in  the  conventional  way.  There  has, 
therefore,  been  ample  opportunity  to  contrast  methods, 
to  gather  evidence  and  to  deduce  conclusions.  The  other 
two  firms  are  of  recent  origin ;  but  their  adoption  of  the 
new  methods  from  the  beginning  has  enabled  them  to 
make  records  of  consistent  advances  unusual  in  the  case 
of  newcomers  in  their  fields. 

All  of  these  manufacturers  distribute  through  re- 
tailers. The  retailer,  therefore,  is  the  most  important 
cog  in  the  machinery  of  their  distribution.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  such  and  is  as  closely  studied  and  analyzed  as 
the  processes  of  manufacturing  themselves.  The  dealer 
is  acknowledged  to  be  a  principal  in  the  marketing  of  the 
product,  and  the  alliance  with  him  is  a  real  partnership. 


BITERS  to  dealers  go  ahead  of  the  salesman  and 

I    attempt  to   cover  for  him  the  three  psychological 

steps  of  approach  to  buying:  curiosity,  interest  and  desire. 


L 


These  manufacturers  approach  the  retailer  directly 
through  three  mediums :  the  salesman,  the  letter  and  the 
trade  journal.  Since  each  of  these  has  a  distinct  field 


DEALER    COOPERATION 


and  function  in  selling,  they  are  used  together.  The 
salesman,  letter  and  trade  journal,  employed  at  the 
proper  time  and  in  the  proper  way,  will  gain  the  atten- 
tion of  the  most  indifferent  dealer. 

The  letter  precedes  the  salesman.  All  of  the  pre- 
liminary work,  the  introduction  of  the  manufacturer  to 
the  retailer,  is  accomplished  through  the  mail.  Ordi- 
narily, unless  the  salesman  can  conveniently  and  inex- 
pensively make  new  towns,  he  is  not  permitted  to  waste 
time  and  money  in  visiting  prospects.  Until  the  letter 
establishes  the  dealer's  confidence,  the  salesman  avoids 
him.  Curiosity,  interest  and  desire,  the  psychological 
preludes  to  buying,  are  within  the  letter's  power  to 
create. 

The  mere  fact  that  a  series  of  letters  has  been  sent  to 
a  prospective  customer  is  not  sufficient  to  prompt  a  sales- 
man's journey  there.  The  letters  must  bring  an  answer. 
Whether  it  be  favorable  or  forbidding  is  not  as  im- 
portant as  that  enough  interest  has  been  awakened  to 
produce  the  answer. 

Two  of  these  manufacturers  have  developed  the  nega- 
tive answer  from  the  prospect  into  a  positive  means  of 
approach.  When  a  retailer  is  sufficiently  stirred  to  write 
back  "No"  in  any  of  its  phases,  "I  can't  now,"  "I  don't 
want  it,"  "Am  not  interested,"  and  so  on,  he  is  fighting 
your  assault.  He  is  protesting.  He  is  trying  to  get  away 
and  he  is  on  the  point  of  giving  in.  When  these  negative 
replies  are  handled  with  tact  and  skill,  sixty  per  cent  of 
the  writers  can  be  brought  into  favorable  relations  with 
the  house. 

The  chief  object  of  the  following  letter  is  to  sell  a 
small  first  order  to  the  dealer.  If  the  dealer  has  already 
bought  and  disposed  of  a  small  quantity  of  the  goods 
before  the  visit  of  the  salesman,  the  latter  will  find  it 


34 


THE    SELLING    PLAN 


easier  to  sell  a  substantial  order  and  can  devote  more 
time  to  study  of  the  dealer's  needs,  to  intelligent  assort- 
ment of  the  order  and  to  the  establishment  of  cordial  re- 
lations with  the  new  customer. 


This  letter  was 
sent  by  a  manu- 
facturer of  wom- 
en's apparel  to  one 
hundred  and 
eighty  merchants 
in  answer  to  nega- 
tive replies.  Note 
how  the  opening 
paragraph  agrees 
with  the  mer- 
chant's attitude 
and  how  subtly 
selling  talk  is  in- 
troduced. 


It  your  present  lines  of  women's  suits  and 
coats  are  selling  profitably  and  giving  your 
customers  satisfaction,  we  can  readily  un- 
derstand why  you  have  written  us  that  you 
cannot  consider  our  garments. 

Still,  it  will  be  to  your  interest  to  look  at 
our  garments  and  compare  them  and  our  prices 
with  those  you  are  now  selling. 

Such  an  investigation  should  prove  very 
advantageous  to  you;  you  might  find  some 
models  in  our  lines  that  are  better  selling 
values  than  what  you  have  now.  And  this  com- 
parison will  prove  to  you  just  how  strong 
your  present  line  is. 

Won't  you  instruct  us  to  send  one  of  our 
salesmen  to  you?  Or  let  us  send  a  few  sample 
garments  "by  prepaid  express?  As  an  enter- 
prising, wide-awake  merchant,  we  feel  confi- 
dent you  will  want  to  make  this  investigation. 


,0ne  of  the  concerns  even  attaches  an  order  blank 
already  filled  out  for  a  trial  shipment,  to  which  the 
dealer  has  only  to  add  his  signature.  The  appeal,  which 
has  proved  quite  effective,  opens  like  this : 


The  manufac- 
turer plans  to  turn 
"No"  into  "Yes" 
with  this  order.  If 
the  dealer  can  be 
ledtotest,heishalf 
prepared  to  buy. 


This  very  small  order  will  enable  you  to  teat 
out  the  selling  possibilities  of  our  goods. 
It  will  show  you  also  what  a  reliable,  prompt, 
and  careful  business  we  are  conducting. 

We  urge  you  to  sign  and  gend  in  this  order. 
The  amount  involved  means  nothing  either  to 
you  or  to  us.  We  want  you  to  put  our  gooda 
and  our  concern  to  the  test. 


What  a  properly  balanced  selling  plan  means  to  a 
business  can  be  seen  after  study  and  analysis  of  the  ex- 
perience of  these  manufacturers.  Follow-up  letters  can 
be  made  to  eliminate  much  of  the  uncertainty  involved 


DEALER    COOPERATION 35 

in  seeking  new  accounts.  They  lessen  selling  expense. 
They  are  the  only  practicable  means  of  getting  a  huge 
volume  of  small  orders  on  which  the  profit  is  larger  than 
the  average.  The  trade  journal  is  used  as  a  co-worker 
with  the  letter.  Space  is  bought  and  used  for  a  definite 
purpose  and  must  fulfill  that  purpose.  The  copy  is 
changed  in  every  issue  and  is  keyed  by  offers  of  booklets 
on  some  appropriate  retail  merchandising  subject  like 
selling  plans,  special  feature  sales,  and  so  on.  Each 
paper  must  produce  inquiries  to  justify  the  investment. 
All  of  these  manufacturers  are  radical  in  their  atti- 
tude towards  their  two  possible  markets — the  large  city 
and  the  small  town.  The  cities  are  seemingly  neglected ; 
all  their  energy  and  effort  are  concentrated  on  the  small 
towns.  Every  town,  village  and  hamlet  where  there  is 
one  or  more  stores  is  "on  the  sales  map."  The  so-called 
"little  fellows,"  frequently  ignored  on  the  ground  that 
their  buying  power  is  too  small,  cater  to  at  least  forty 
million  people. 

RURAL  buyers  outnumber  city  purchasers  and  the 
thousands  of  little  stores  which  sell  to  them  represent 
a  buying  power  which  often  can  not  be  ignored. 

Here  are  some  statistics  which  have  influenced  these 
manufacturers  to  consider  the  small  town  as  their  most 
important  market.  According  to  the  last  census,  there 
are  only  2,405  cities  in  the  United  States  which  have 
populations  of  2,500  or  more.  Including  the  other 
centers  which  have  a  million  or  more  people  within  their 
borders,  the  total  urban  population  is  only  42,623,383. 
In  the  territory  classified  as  rural,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  are  49,348,883  persons.  Of  these  8,119,528  live  in 
11,784  incorporated  towns  of  less  than  2,500  population, 
but  the  majority  of  the  remaining  41,229,355  buy  the 


36 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

bulk  of  their  necessities  in  these  smaller  towns. 

These  figures  are  of  no  consequence  in  themselves;  it 
is  only  when  we  study  results  that  we  can  understand 
the  merchandising  possibilities  of  the  small  town.  The 
following  conclusions  can  be  accepted  because  they  have 
been  demonstrated  by  the  experience  of  all  the  manufac- 
turers whose  selling  methods  we  are  considering. 

The  small-town  merchant  is  much  easier  of  access 
than  his  city  brothers.  He  is  far  more  impressionable. 
He  responds  more  readily  to  a  sound  business  appeal. 
Hence  the  approach  is  easier,  the  results  are  greater  and 
the  cost  of  selling  to  him  is  decidedly  lower. 

As  an  active  customer,  the  small-town  dealer  has  fewer 
requirements  which  the  manufacturer  must  meet.  In  the 
matter  of  terms,  discounts,  credit  extensions,  advertising 
helps,  and  various  other  allowances,  the  initiative  of  the 
manufacturer  is  usually  accepted  without  further  de- 
mand. In  short,  the  small-town  merchant  is  a  less  costly 
customer  to  handle. 

He  can,  too,  concentrate  to  the  manufacturer's  ad- 
vantage on  the  goods  he  carries.  This  is  because  the  lines 
he  stocks  are  few  in  number  and  the  quantities  he  carries 
are  comparatively  small.  This  allows  him  and  his  clerks 
to  get  back  of  his  goods  with  a  selling  impetus  that  ac- 
tually moves  them.  The  intimate  contact  between  re- 
tailer and  consumer  in  small  towns  makes  selling  to  the 
final  purchaser  a  simpler,  quicker  operation.  The  fact 
that  there  is  less  local  advertising  to  confuse  the  mental 
processes  of  the  small-town  purchasers  makes  them  bet- 
ter subjects  for  the  manufacturer's  advertising.  They 
are  impressionable ;  desire  can  be  more  easily  aroused  in 
them  and  the  object  of  the  publicity — to  create  a  de- 
mand— is  more  readily  accomplished. 

To  begin  with  the  small  towns  where  an  equal  volume 


DEALER    COOPERATION 


37 


of  business  and  greater  profits  can  be  secured,  and  then 
to  work  toward  the  city  trade,  is  the  quicker,  easier, 
safer  journey  for  the  young  manufacturing  house  to 
make.  For  the  concern  already  established  in  the  larger 
trade  centers,  the  neglected  " provinces'*  offer  an  at- 
tractive field.  To  work  it  effectively,  however,  it  must  be 


LOCATE 
BEST           < 
MARKETS 

PROSPECT  CLASSES  EASILY 
PERSUADED 
HEAVIEST  INDIVIDUAL  BUYERS 
UNDEVELOPED  RURAL  BUSINESS 

TO  INCREASE 
WHOLESALE     < 
TRADE 

ENCOURAGE     I 
DEALERS       < 

BY       I 

EXCLUSIVE  TERRITORY 
STORE  PERSONALITY 
MERCHANDISING  HELPS 

GUARD 
SALES           < 
BY 

CARE  NOT  TO  OVERSTOCK 
DEALERS 
MAKING  REGULAR  ORDERING 
CONVENIENT 

,                   ^             I 

OPPOSING  SUBSTITUTION 

FIGURE  HI:  By  the  three  methods  here  shown  six  manufacturers  suc- 
cessfully stimulated  their  sales.      They  helped  their  dealers  and  through 
them  reached  for  small  repeat  orders  from  the  great  rural  population 

treated  seriously  and  not  as  a  mere  adjunct  to  the  city 
territory. 

Consumers  in  the  smaller  cities  and  towns  buy  quality 
goods — all  sorts  of  luxuries  and  conveniences  for  their 
homes,  delicacies  for  their  tables,  devices  that  minister  to 
their  amusement.  Cheap  buying  is  not  characteristic,  as. 
is  commonly  assumed.  Per  capita  they  buy  much  larger 
quantities  of  staple  commodities  like  flour,  foodstuffs  in 
general,  stoves,  refrigerators,  and  so  on.  A  large  per- 
centage of  city  folk  live  in  apartments  which  are  rented 
ready  for  occupancy,  painted,  decorated  and  even  partly 
furnished.  A  goodly  proportion  of  them  eat  in  restau- 


38 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

rants,  where  they  cannot  specify  the  salt,  flour,  sugar, 
canned  goods  and  other  foods  which  they  consume  and 
where'  silver,  china  and  tableware  are  not  carefully  con- 
sidered. 

TV/TANUFACTURERStP^o  have  investigated  find  that 
IVJ.  sales  increase  in  volume  at  more  attractive  profits 
when  but  one  dealer  is  sold  in  each  small  town  or  city. 

Results  which  tha  six  manufacturers  are  showing  prove 
that  sales  are  increased  in  volume,  profits  are  larger,  and 
all  conditions  are  better  if  but  one  dealer  is  sold  in  each 
locality.  With  the  exception  of  one  house  of  the  six 
figuring  in  this  article,  selling  through  exclusive  deal- 
ers is  the  fixed  rule.  The  one  exception  is  a  manufac- 
turer of  toilet  preparations,  which  are  purchased  in 
such  limited  quantities  by  each  drug  store  that  sales 
through  all  stores  are  necessary. 

But  in  all  the  lines  of  men's,  women's  and  children's 
apparel,  furniture,  and  so  on,  the  volume  of  business 
and  net  profit  can  usually  be  increased  and  the  selling 
cost  decreased  by  selling  exclusively  through  one  re- 
tailer. 

Regardless  of  how  extensive  and  how  powerful  a  na- 
tional campaign  may  be,  if  the  dealer  is  not  back  of 
the  goods,  only  the  minimum  of  sales  will  result.  The 
" created  demand"  impetus  is  not  sufficient  to  over- 
come an  indifferent  retailer.  The  final  force  that  com- 
pletes the  sale  must  be  as  active  and  as  strong  as  the 
first  stimulus  that  arouses  the  consumer's  desire.  It 
is  acknowledged  that  the  dealer  controls  his  local  situa- 
tion; that  the  consumer  waits  on  him  for  his  final  sell- 
ing argument.  These  manufacturers  have  been  taught 
by  experience  that  when  two  or  more  merchants  in  a 
given  locality  sell  the  same  branded  goods,  they  will 


DEALER    COOPERATION 


not  lend  their  names  and  energies  to  promote  such  goods 
to  the  fullest  possible  extent.  For  the  fruits  of  their 
efforts  can  be  shared  by  their  competitors.  The  mer- 
chant knows  that  he  jeopardizes  his  own  welfare  and 
profits  if  he  advertises  goods  that  his  neighboring  rival 
also  sells. 

When  a  merchant  has  the  sole  selling  privileges  and 
is  free  to  build  up  his  trade  with  this  as  an  asset,  here 
is  an  example  of  what  can  happen : 

In  an  Illinois  town  of  twenty  thousand  one  concern 
originally  sold  to  five  stores.  The  sales  averaged  about 
$1,200  annually.  With  a  change  in  policy  the  goods 
were  restricted  to  one  store.  Immediately  that  dealer 
began  to  advertise  the  line  in  the  local  newspapers  and 
by  window  displays.  The  first  year's  sales  ran  over 
$3,000 ;  they  have  increased  since. 

These  concerns  nourish  the  power  and  the  personality 
of  their  retailers.  They  have  found  that  the  more  he 
advances,  the  more  valuable  he  is  as  a  selling  outlet — 
for  then  he  can  and  will  sell  more  goods. 

Instead  of  submerging  the  identity  and  individuality 
of  the  retailer,  his  initiative  and  independent  activities 
are  encouraged.  The  bond  of  good  will  which  these 
manufacturers  establish  with  the  retailer  brings  a  har- 
mony which  eliminates  the  ''dealer  problems "  and  wastes 
in  marketing.  Selling  to  the  merchant  is  reduced  to 
its  simplest,  quickest  form.  It  becomes  only  an  ex- 
position of  goods  and  prices.  The  dealer  drops  his  cus- 
tomary defensive  attitude  in  buying.  He  is  free  to 
consider  the  merchandise  and  its  selling  value  without 
fear  that  the  salesman  will  attempt  to  "put  one  over 
on  him." 

The  caution  and  consequent  delay  in  buying  that 
characterizes  the  average  retailer  have  been  further  re- 


4Q THE    SELLING    PLAN 

moved  by  the  " small  order"  policy  that  some  of  the 
manufacturers  pursue.  They  make  it  a  rule  to  sell  the 
merchant  as  small  an  order  as  is  consistent  with  his 
selling  possibilities.  There  is  no  stuffing  or  forcing  of 
sales.  The  result  is  that  the  salesman  makes  a  greater 
number  of  individual  sales  every  week  than  he  could 
possibly  land  if  he  attempted  to  sell  larger  orders.  He 
' 'cleans  up"  with  each  customer  in  half  the  usual  time 
and  covers  twice  the  ground  the  average  road  man  can. 
Selling  expense  is  reduced  materially,  since  all  the  "re- 
orders" come  in  by  mail. 

QUICK  turnovers  of  stocks    please    retailers   when 
manufacturers  show  that  there  is  a  fair  profit  in  the 
selling  and  make  frequent  re-ordering  possible. 

The  quick  turnover  of  a  small  stock  leaves  an  un- 
failing impression  upon  the  merchant.  He  re-orders  by 
mail  before  his  stock  is  too  much  depleted,  while  con- 
tinual reminders  from  the  manufacturer  to  keep  his 
stock  up  does  not  let  him  lose  sight  of  this  point.  Sub- 
stitution has  been  practically  eliminated.  The  good  will 
of  the  dealer  makes  competition  helpless. 

The  cultivation  by  the  manufacturer  of  a  broad,  in- 
telligent relation  with  the  retailer  solves  many  of  the 
wasteful  riddles  of  distribution.  The  plan  promotes  a 
frank,  friendly,  sincere  cooperation  with  the  merchant. 
The  retailer  is  recognized  as  too  important  to  be  ignored, 
as  unproductive  when  driven,  as  uncertain  when  cajoled 
and  bribed.  All  of  these  manufacturers  testify  to  this 
fact ;  as  you  treat  the  merchant,  just  so  he  will  respond. 

In  the  handling  of  their  advertising,  these  manufac- 
turers have  worked  out  a  common  and  advantageous 
policy  which  arouses  none  of  the  dealer  antagonism 
many  national  campaigns  have  stirred,  but  actually 


DEALER    COOPERATION 41' 

secures  cooperation  from  the  retailer. 

These  manufacturers  keep  rigidly  away  from  employ- 
ment of  their  national  advertising  as  a  device  to  force- 
sales  on  a  dealer.  Instead  he  is  shown  that  the  campaign 
is  an  auxiliary  power  which  he  can  use  to  good  ad- 
vantage. He  is  not  awed  and  frightened  into  buying* 
by  circulars  which  play  up  the  alleged  selling  argu- 
ments: "We  are  reaching  and  influencing  5,000,000  peo- 
ple and  are  spending  $50,000  for  you ;  hurry,  stock  up.  ' ' 
Instead, . quietly,  calmly,  but  forcibly,  they  say:  "This 
publicity  will  surely  influence  men  and  women  of  your 
locality.  It  will  arcnse  their  desire  for  our  goods.  You 
and  you  alone  can  change  this  desire  into  actual  profit- 
able sales." 

Nothing  is  left  to  the  dealer,  however,  which  the  pro- 
ducers themselves  can  shoulder.  The  follow-up  cam- 
paign is  planned  as  carefully  as  the  display  advertising. 
The  interval  required  for  putting  an  inquiring  prospect 
in  touch  with  a  retailer  is  reduced  to  as  short  a  period 
as  the  mails  make  possible.  Inquiries  are  answered  the 
same  day  they  are  received. 

How  does  this  affect  the  dealer? 

The  retailers  for  these  six  manufacturers  have  become 
real  merchants.  They  are  forcing  the  issue  in  selling. 
They  are  not  buying  more  or  less  blindly.  Instead  each 
works  out  and  shapes  a  merchandising  program  of  his 
own. 

The  broad  policies,  the  friendly  attitude,  and  the  sin- 
cere efforts  of  the  producing  concerns  have  entirely  re- 
moved one  source  of  worry — the  attempt  of  the  man- 
ufacturer to  encroach  upon  their  domain.  This  has 
occupied  so  much  of  the  dealer's  attention  and  con- 
sumed so  much  of  his  energy  that  looking  after  his  busi- 
ness  has  often  become  an  incidental  matter. 


42 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

The  educational,  partnership  efforts  of  the  producers 
show  results  in  a  very  decided  way.  With  but  a  few 
exceptions  their  retailers  are  doing  the  largest  business 
in  their  respective  territories,  while  their  selling  ex- 
penses are  decidedly  moderate.  Free  from  "manu- 
facturer problems,"  and  able  to  concentrate  all  of  their 
activities  upon  selling,  they  have  developed  their  trade 
remarkably. 

DEALERS  profit  by  the  manufacturer's  national  ad- 
vertising when  they  focus  the  desire  awakened  by 
the  publicity  and  reinforce  the  producer  s  efforts. 

Without  exception,  they  are  ' '  cashing  in "  on  the  cam- 
paigns of  the  producers.  They  know  how  to  do  this 
without  losing  their  identity.  They  connect  their  stores 
with  the  advertised  goods  by  endorsing  the  advertiser's 
claims  for  his  wares.  They  focus  the  "desire"  which 
the  manufacturer  creates,  and  at  the  same  time  place 
themselves  above  the  merchandise.  They  are  reinforcing 
the  producer's  selling  efforts  by  their  own  individual 
energies.  Even  in  the  preparation  of  their  advertising 
they  do  not  use  the  manufacturer's  words;  they  re- 
phrase his  arguments  in  their  own  distinctive  fashions. 

And  the  next  and  final  factor  in  distribution,  the  con- 
sumer, is  educated  by  these  saner  retail  methods  into 
better  buying.  He  is  weaned  away  from  the  bargain 
idea,  from  bad  shopping  habits  for  which  the  retailer 
himself  is  usually  responsible. 

When  the  merchant  cooperates  with  the  manufacturer, 
intelligently  and  willingly,  two  powerful  forces  are  com- 
bined which  insure  the  maximum  selling  at  a  minimum 
expenditure  of  energy  and  money.  Demand  and  supply 
in  themselves  will  not  regulate  buying  and  selling  sat- 
isfactorily. The  economical  distribution  of  goods  from 


DEALER    CO-OPERATION 43 

manufacturer  to  consumer,  by  way  of  the  retailer,  must 
be  based  upon  a  systematic,  direct,  intelligent  plan  which 
invests  each  factor  with  a  responsibility  and  brings  them 
all  into  cooperation  to  that  end. 


TT  is  true  of  many  houses  that  the  clerk  is  treated  fairly 
•*•  and  given  such  consideration  as  is  commonly  shown  em- 
ployees; but  it  is  not  true  that  the  clerk  is  given  full  informa- 
tion on  the  cost  of  goods,  the  methods  of  buying,  and  the 
policy  of  the  firm.  These  three  things  are  held  from  him  as 
secretly  as  possible. 

But  I  feel  it  best  to  have  no  secrets,  to  hold  back  nothing 
about  what  the  house  is  doing  or  contemplates  doing  in 
building  up  its  business. 

The  policy  which  I  find  most  successful  is  the  reflected 
opinion  of  those  who  constitute  the  working  force;  for  policy 
is  nothing  but  the  following  out  of  the  best  plan  under  the 
circumstances. 

And  who  knows  more  about  this  than  the  salesman  ? 

— Arthur  B.  Levy 

Of  Lery  Brothers  and  Company 


HOW  TO  FOCUS  TRADE 
THROUGH  JOBBERS 

By  Robert  H.  Ingersoll 
President,   Robert  H.  Ingersoll  and  Brother 

AS  THE  head  of  a  manufacturing  house,  I  keep  in 
touch  with  the  market  by  a  system  of  daily,  weekly, 
monthly  and  quarterly  reports  from  salesmen. 

The  "market"  of  any  manufacturing  house  consists 
of  the  people  who  buy  its  product.  Hence  a  study  of 
the  market  involves : 

First,  a  knowledge  of  the  article  which  the  public 
demands. 

Second,  a  knowledge  of  the  most  direct  and  inex- 
pensive methods  of  placing  this  article  in  the  hands  of 
the  public. 

My  firm  was  established  on  the  belief  that  the  public 
wanted  an  inexpensive  watch — the  "public"  used  in  its 
broadest  sense.  Our  sales  force  was  organized  to  meet 
these  conditions. 

This  particular  "public"  can  not  be  assumed  to  de- 
vote much  time  to  reading  the  periodicals,  nor  to  con- 
ducting its  business  by  correspondence.  A  man  wants 
a  watch  and  as  a  rule  he  takes  the  quickest  and  most  di- 
rect way  of  getting  it.  He  buys  it  at  the  nearest  store, 
and  the  chances  are  that  he  will  buy  the  watch  whose 
name  and  price  are  most  familiar.  Hence,  our  policy  of 
giving  general  publicity,  rather  than  direct  advertising, 
to  our  product. 


JOBBING    MARKETS 45 

As  a  result  of  this  system  but  few  watches  are  sold 
direct  to  the  consumer.  They  are  disposed  of  through 
jobbers,  retailers  and  a  miscellaneous  class,  known  as 
"premium  users."  The  jobbers  in  turn  sell  to  a  large 
number  of  retailers.  For  this  reason  our  customers 
may  number  but  fifteen  thousand,  although  we  might 
market  two  million  watches  a  year  to  them. 

Our  selling  force,  then,  is  organized  to  handle  not 
the  general  public,  but  fifteen  thousand  customers  who 
serve  as  mediums.  Our  "  market,-' '  in  other  words,  con- 
sists of  jobbers  and  retailers.  To  keep  in  touch  with  the 
market  we  must,  first,  keep  the  company  in  touch  with 
the  salesmen;  second,  keep  our  salesmen  in  touch  with 
the  trade. 

ORGANIZE  the  sales  force  so  that  their  routine  re- 
ports will  give  you  a  detailed  and  minute  analysis 
of  your  entire  market  every  three  or  four  months. 

To  keep  the  company  in  touch  with  the  salesmen,  we 
use  a  convenient  form  of  organization  and  a  report 
system.  The  United  States  we  have  divided  into  an 
eastern  and  a  western  division.  At  the  head  of  each  is  a 
division  manager.  Under  the  eastern  manager  are  ten 
salesmen;  under  the  western  manager,  five.  These  fif- 
teen salesmen  cover  the  entire  country  four  times  each 
year. 

These  salesmen  are  on  a  par.  They  are  all  con- 
nected with  the  company  on  a  straight  salary  basis — 
a  plan  that  we  have  found  by  experience  to  be  more 
satisfactory  than  the  commission  system.  They  are  all 
responsible  only  to  their  division  manager,  who  in  turn 
is  responsible  to  the  company. 

Each  salesman  is  assigned  to  a  clearly  specified  terri- 
tory, out  of  which  he  must  not  sell.  These  territories 


46 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

are  regulated  largely  by  the  development  of  the  jobbing 
trade  in  that  locality.  Thus,  but  one  salesman  covers 
all  of  New  England,  owing  to  the  high  development  of 
the  jobbing  trade  there.  The  salesmen  connected  with 
these  jobbing  houses  do  the  work  that  our  salesmen 
would  do  ordinarily. 

The  two  division  managers  route  each  salesman  in 
their  divisions.  The  route  is  indicated  on  a  map  in  the 
bottom  of  a  flat  drawer  in  the  filing  case.  Each  city 
and  town  the  salesman  is  to  visit  is  indicated  by  a  tack 
bearing  the  date  of  his  arrival  and  departure.  His 
course  is  indicated  by  a  string  attached  to  these  tacks. 

From  these  fifteen  salesmen  the  division  managers 
get  reports  which  keep  them  in  close  touch  with  the 
market,  and  from  which  the  company  is  enabled  to 
make  preparations  for  unusual  approaching  conditions. 

Each  salesman  sends  a  daily  report  of  his  work  to 
his  division  manager.  On  these  reports  are  noted  merely 
the  orders  "entered."  These  reports  are  not  considered 
in  the  final  estimate  of  the  salesman's  value,  as  many 
"entered"  orders  are  not  filled.  So  these  daily  reports 
are  later  verified  or  corrected  by  the  salesman's  weekly 
reports.  On  these  daily  and  weekly  reports  the  division 
manager  bases  his  weekly  statement  to  the  company. 

These  reports  from  the  two  division  managers  come 
up  for  consideration  every  Wednesday  morning.  The 
records  from  each  territory  are  compared  with  the 
records  of  the  same  territory  for  the  corresponding  week 
of  the  year  before.  Any  marked  discrepancy  results 
in  letters  for  further  information  or  with  special  instruc- 
tions. In  some  cases  a  special  salesman  may  be  sent 
to  find  out  the  causes.  In  this  way  a  careful  watch 
is  kept  on  the  market,  and  any  decline  is  promptly 
checked. 


PART  I— MARKETING 
PROBLEMS  AND  THE  G 
SELLING  PLAN  .. 

Contact  and  Confidence 

THE  whole  business  world  rests  on  a  founda- 
tion of  confidence.    When  confidence  is  gone, 
business  is  gone. 

Individual  salesmanship  depends  upon  confi- 
dence as  much  as  any  other  transaction  in  busi- 
ness. If  a  man  has  confidence  in  you  and  in  your 
goods,  you  can  sell  him.  You  cannot  make  many 
sales  where  confidence  is  lacking. 

If  your  prospect  lacks  confidence  in  you,  then 
your  entire  efforts  must  go  to  building  up  in  his 
mind  a  feeling  of  confidence. 

Lack  of  confidence  is  usually  due  to  ignorance. 
Unless  you  know  a  man  well,  you  haven't  confi- 
dence in  him.  Unless  you  know  a  business  house 
well,  you  haven't  confidence  in  that  house. 

The  greatest  foe  of  ignorance  is  publicity.  The 
saying  that  "publicity  corrects  all  abuses"  is  a 
true  one. 

Without  a  doubt,  the  greatest  force  today  in 
the  interest  of  confidence — in  the  interest  of  credit, 
if  you  will — is  advertising. 


HUGH  CHALMERS 

President,  Chalmers  Motor  Company 


JOBBING    MARKETS 47 

Monthly,  quarterly  and  annual  reports  are  also  sent 
by  each  manager  to  the  company.  On  these  monthly 
reports  the  * i  entered ' '  orders  are  discarded  and  only  the 
"shipped"  orders  are  noted. 

Each  of  these  reports  show  corrections  and  condensa- 
tions of  the  preceding  reports.  For  instance,  the  man- 
ager's monthly  report  indicates  on  a  single  sheet  the 
name  and  record  of  each  salesman  for  the  period  indi- 
cated, showing  the  amount  of  business  received  from 
him,  the  amount  of  his  business  which  the  company  has 
"passed,"  the  amount  which  has  actually  been  shipped, 
together  with  the  percentage  of  his  expenses  to  the  busi- 
ness he  has  transacted. 

To  keep  in  still  closer  touch  with  the  salesman,  an 
individual  card  record  is  kept  to  show  in  detail  the 
record  of  each  year.  The  annual  record  cards  are  then 
filed  together  for  reference. 

To  keep  the  salesmen  in  touch  with  the  market,  they 
are  trained  to  confer  personally  with  the  tradesmen. 

ROUTE  your  salesmen  so  that  they  can  visit  every 
retailer  who  sells  a  line  of  goods  in  which  yours 
could  be  included,  and  can  talk  shop  with  him. 

Each  salesman  is  routed  to  reach  the  "high  spots  "- 
the  big  business  centers— first.  From  these  "high  spots" 
he  radiates  to  the  smaller  towns.  He  visits  every  re- 
tailer who  handles  a  line  of  goods  in  which  ours  may  be 
included.  He  talks  shop  to  him.  He  finds  out  how 
much  of  our  product  and  how  much  of  our  competitors' 
products  were  sold  the  year  before,  that  he  may  estimate 
the  amount  of  our  goods  he  can  handle  next  year.  He 
studies  the  demand  in  that  vicinity  and  the  reasons 
which  cause  it. 

By  this  system  the  company  gets  reports  every  year 


48 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

|i 

on  the  condition  of  our  entire  market — the  reports  of 
experienced  men  who  are  familiar  with  the  trade  and 
who  can  look  at  conditions  from  the  company's  stand- 
point. 

To  determine  that  a  territory  is  being  properly  devel- 
oped, we  compare  its  record  for  the  past  few  years.  If 
these  records  show  a  falling  off,  we  know  that  either 
the  district  or  the  company  is  losing  ground.  A  card 
record  system  shows  the  comparative  sales  of  each  di- 
vision by  months,  including  rates  of  increase  or  decrease. 
As  each  of  these  records  acts  as  a  check  on  the  preceding 
reports,  an  accurate  analysis  of  the  conditions  of  the 
business  may  be  had  at  a  moment's  notice.  A  special 
index  covers  each  town  in  which  our  business  sells.  A 
record  is  kept  of  the  sales  in  that  town  in  the  past. 
From  this  record  the  company  estimates  the  amount  and 
class  of  business  it  may  expect  there. 

Another  card  system  records  the  amount  and  grade 
of  product  sold  by  each  salesman  in  each  territory  and 
the  gross  profit  thereon.  In  this  way  the  exact  value 
of  a  territory,  and  even  of  a  salesman,  is  calculated  in 
dollars  and  cents. 


A  LMOST  every  large  concern  that  started  twenty  years  ago 
^*-  and  is  successful  today,  could  today  duplicate  that  success. 
You  can  be  a  Wanamaker,  a  Marshall  Field,  or  an  Altman, 
if  you  personally  attend  to  your  store,  look  after  your  window 
displays,  watch  your  business  and  study  it  thoroughly.  You 
can  become  successful  just  as  these  big  men  have  done  before. 
It  depends  upon  how  you  study  your  business  and  how  much 
you  love  your  business. 

—Samuel  Brill 

President,  Brill  Brothers 


VI 


SECURING  RE-ORDERS  FROM 
A  CUSTOMER  LIST 

By  J.  Harry  Selz 
President,  Selz,  Schwab  and  Company 

AVERAGE  clerks  or  department  heads  are  inclined 
to  regard  the  cabinet  of  names  called  the  "house 
list"  solely  as  a  piece  of  modern  ingenuity  for  the  ex- 
pansion of  business.  While  this  is  showing  the  proper 
spirit  of  push  and  progress,  it  is  a  mistake  to  think  that 
so  valuable  a  tool  as  a  "house  list"  can  be  put  to  only 
one  use.  The  cabinet  of  cards  containing  the  names  of 
the  current,  former  and  prospective  customers,  is  one 
of  the  most  flexible  pieces  of  filing  mechanism  ever  de- 
vised, and  the  active  head  of  any  large  merchandising 
house  can  well  spend  hours  in  its  company. 

Suppose  it  possible  for  him  to  assemble  in  one  great 
hall  all  the  men  at  the  moment  carrying  live  accounts 
with  him  and  all  who  had  traded  with  him  in  the  past. 
That  privilege  would  instantly  arouse  his  enthusiasm. 
But  where  this  list  runs  ten  to  twenty  thousand  in- 
dividuals and  firms,  the  assemblage  would  be  somewhat 
unwieldy,  so  far  as  actual  results  are  concerned.  There 
might  be  much  poise  and  good  feeling,  but  small  oppor- 
tunity for  the  wholesaler  to  learn  definite  and  directly 
helpful  things  about  his  trade. 

But  what  are  his  privileges  with  the  "house  list"  in 
the  card  catalog  drawer?  With  it  he  can  assemble 
his  whole  trade  and  quickly  interview  each  customer. 


50 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

And  customers,  thus  approached,  consume  no  time  in 
comments  on  the  weather.  These  cards  will  tell  him  the 
fluctuations  of  each  customer's  trade,  from  month  to 
month  and  year  to  year. 

In  these  quiet  card  conventions  with  his  buyers  the 
merchant  learns  how  much  may  be  done  with  a  right 
business  system,  besides  adding  more  customers  to  his 
list.  The  word  expansion  has  been  as  popular  in  busi- 
ness as  in  politics.  There  is  something  else  to  be  done 
in  the  course  of  sound  business  progress  besides  expand- 
ing. To  solidify  your  business  structure  is  quite  as 
essential  as  to  expand  it. 

This  fact  is  enforced  with  emphasis  by  an  intelligent 
study  of  any  system  that  really  puts  before  the  eye  of 
the  executive  a  complete  picture  of  his  relations  with 
each  customer  on  his  list.  There  is  nothing  in  which 
you  can  better  invest  two  or  three  days'  time,  at  inter- 
vals of  three  or  six  months,  than  in  a  direct  personal 
study  of  these  cards.  Handle  them  with  your  own  hands, 
read  them  with  your  own  eyes  and  make  your  deduc- 
tions and  conclusions  from  your  personal  contact  with 
the  list. 

"I  ^7HEN  you  go  through  the  customer  list  get  in  mind 
V  V  a  way  to  strengthen  weak  purchasers  and  a  plan 
for  enlarging  small  accounts  with  frequent  re-orders. 

But  what  should  you  have  in  mind  as  you  go  through 
the  "cabinet,"  turn  one  card  after  another  and  scan 
each  customer's  relations  with  the  house?  Two  things: 
First,  how  to  develop  weak  customers  into  sound  ones; 
second,  how  to  build  small  accounts  into  larger  ones 
without  increasing  the  tension  of  credit.  In  my  opinion 
the  first  object  to  be  held  in  view  is  quite  as  important 
as  the  second.  It  is  more  vital  to  have  a  trade  that  is 


SECURING    RE-ORDERS 51 

absolutely  sound  and  closely  knit  than  to  have  a  big 
trade  full  of  weak  spots  that  are  causing  work  and 
worry.  Enough  weak  accounts  will  strain  the  credit 
of  the  best  wholesaler  and  will  absorb  more  time  and 
high-priced  energy  than  they  are  worth — ten  times  over ! 
A  glance  at  each  card  tells  you  how  much  your  cus- 
tomer bought  last  month,  how  much  the  corresponding 
month  of  the  previous  year;  how  he  has  made  his  pay- 
ments; and  the  whole  character  of  his  transactions. 

After  picking  out  the  weak  points  which  need  to  be 
fortified,  the  shrewd  manager  will  carefully  formulate 
the  general  lines  of  a  campaign  directed  wholly  to  mak- 
ing stronger  the  customers  he  already  has,  without  re- 
gard to  getting  new  ones. 

This  must  be  done  in  a  thoroughly  systematic  manner 
to  be  effective.  In  fact,  it  would  be  wholly  impossible 
to  make  even  the  preliminary  investigation  necessary 
to  such  a  campaign  without  having  in  operation  a  mod- 
ern system,  which,  at  least  to  a  degree,  is  analytical  in 
its  operation.  In  this  sort  of  campaign  it  should  be 
remembered  that  the  object  is  not  to  load  your  customers 
up  with  a  larger  line  of  goods,  but  to  make  them  so  strong 
that  they  will  need  more  goods  and  can  take  them  with 
less  credit  than  under  existing  conditions. 


TN  EVERY  phase  of  selling — wholesale,  retail,  in  person, 
•*•  by  letter — the  most  effective,  the  most  decisive  results  are 
attained  when  skill,  tact  and  diplomacy  are  employed.  These 
are  the  ingredients  of  subtlety  that  minimize  effort  and  energy 
in  selling.  These  are  the  factors  that  differentiate  mere 
selling  from  real  salesmanship. 

— George  L.  Louis 


VII 

FIXING  ON  A  RETAIL 
POLICY 

By  Herbert  A.  Ballou 
Proprietor,  The  Ballou  Paint  Store 

HOW  can  I  make  my  store  different  from  all  other 
stores?  This  was  the  question  I  asked  myself 
when  I  bought  my  business. 

I  had  acquired  it  for  less  than  two  hundred  dollars — 
most  of  my  available  cash.  This  valuation  was  the  net 
result  of  nearly  sixty  years  of  labor.  My  grandfather 
established  the  store  in  1848,  and  after  his  death  it  was 
carried  on  by  my  uncle.  Some  years  previous  I  had 
worked  in  the  store,  but  had  gone  away  for  several 
years. 

For  three  or  four  years  preceding  my  final  return  the 
business  had  done  very  badly,  and  several  times  had 
been  on  the  point  of  insolvency.  My  friends  advised 
me  against  going  into  it.  How,  they  asked,  could  I 
hope  to  succeed  if  in  sixty  years  it  had  accomplished 
nothing  but  failure  ?  Looked  at  in  this  light  the  project 
did  seem  very  dubious,  and  that  was  why  I  set  about 
the  problem  of  giving  the  store  an  individuality. 

The  store  is  in  a  thriving  manufacturing  center,  with 
more  than  a  hundred  thousand  people.  The  state  is 
thickly  settled.  City  and  country  use  paint  in  great 
quantities.  Why,  I  asked,  could  I  not  sell  paint  enough 
to  make  the  business  a  success?  Why  had  the  store 
never  been  able  to  get  and  hold  its  customers? 


FIXING    ON    A    RETAIL    POLICY 53 

As  I  walked  up  and  down  the  streets  I  was  impressed 
with  the  fact  that  most  of  the  little  stores — many  of 
them  very  old  stores  like  my  own — lacked  anything  that 
resembled  personality.  There  was  nothing  about  them 
to  draw  attention.  So  I  reasoned  that  the  first  proposi- 
tion confronting  me  was — let  the  people  know  that  Bal- 
lou's  paint  store  existed.  I  made  up  my  mind  that  in 
some  way  I  would  make  the  name  "Ballou"  synonymous 


FIGURE  IV:     The  "Blue"  paint  stare  made  this  school  rule  pay  for 

itself  and  do  novelty  advertising  at  the  same  time.      It  was  given  in 

exchange  for  empty  bottles  to  be  used  as  containers 

with  paint.  I  would  establish  my  identity  so  strongly 
that  the  very  word  "Ballou"  would  mean  PAINT  to 
every  man,  woman  and  child  in  Worcester. 

But  right  at  the  start  I  was  confronted  with  a 
dilemma.  My  name  was  an  unusual  one,  hard  to  re- 
member, and  not  easy  for  some  people  to  pronounce. 
Then  came  the  inspiration:  why  not  pronounce  it 
"Blue,"  and  make  my  store  blue? 

BALLOU  tells  how  he  made  his  blue  store  stand  out 
from  the  others  and  gave  it  an  individuality  around 
which  he  builds  his  successful  sales  campaigns. 

I  got  out  some  blue  paint  at  once  and  transformed  the 
store  front  to  that  color.  Then  I  walked  across  the 
street  and  looked  at  it.  My  store  was  no  longer  a  mere 
link  in  a  chain  of  dead-level  sameness.  It  stood  out  by 
itself  in  a  tint  that  could  not  be  mistaken.  Ballou  had 
become,  in  an  hour,  "The  Blue  Paint  Man." 


.54 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

That  was  the  beginning.  After  that  blue  became  my 
mascot.  Whatever  I  did,  I  did  in  blue.  I  painted  my 
oil  cans  blue,  and  when  they  were  carried  or  hauled 
through  the  streets  people  knew  they  belonged  to  Bal- 
lou.  I  wrapped  all  my  parcels  in  blue  paper  and  tied 
them  with  blue  string,  and  every  parcel  and  bag  was  a 
vivid  advertisement  for  the  blue  store.  I  had  my  sta- 
tionery printed  on  blue  paper;  my  bills  were  sent  out 
in  blue,  and  so  were  my  checks.  My  clerks  wore  blue 
caps  and  coats ;  my  store  was  decorated  in  blue. 

MERE  individuality  will  not  hold  sales  very  long, 
Ballon  soon  discovered,  and  he  straightway  found 
methods  for  proving  the  real  worth  of  his  store. 

After  awhile  when  I  got  a  little  start  and  the  people 
began  to  recognize  "The  Blue  Paint  Store"  as  a  feature 
of  Worcester,  I  began  to  advertise  in  the  newspapers. 
Unhappily  I  could  not  have  the  ads  printed  in  blue  ink, 
as  I  would  have  liked,  so  I  featured  the  word  blue  as 
much  as  I  could  without  sacrificing  the  primary  purpose 
of  the  advertising — to  make  known  my  goods.  For  in- 
stance, I  would  head  an  advertisement  with  the  word 
"Blue"  in  big  type,  and  at  the  bottom  I  would  use  the 
stock  cut  bearing  my  name  and  address.  This  cut  was 
always  the  same  on  all  of  my  advertising,  and  came  to 
have  the  effect  of  a  trade-mark.  In  the  space  between 
the  "Blue"  and  the  cut  I  would  use  terse  phrases  like 
these : 

"The  best  horse  gets  the  BLUE  ribbon. 

"The  best  and  cleanest  paint  store  wins  the  BLUE 
ribbon  of  popularity. 

"Economy  puts  the  BLUE  ribbon  on  the  lowest  prices. 

"BALLOU'S  PAINT  STORE"  takes  on  the  royal 
color,  BLUE,  because  it's  the  best  paint  store  in  the 


FIXING    ON    A    RETAIL    POLICY 


55 


heart  of  the  commonwealth. 

*  *  Here 's  where  autos  stop  for  the  best  quality  of  gaso- 
line at  19  cents  a  gallon." 

By  pounding  away  at  this  sort  of  thing,  it  was  not  a 
great  while  before  my  store  had  actually  assumed  the 
personality  I  had  set  out  to  give  it.  It  was  no  longer 
a  nonentity  in  the  city,  and  my  name  was  no  longer  a 


FIGURE  V:       This  advertisement  lasts  as  long  as  the  cake  of  soap. 

Ballon  had  the  lettering  sunk — in  blue — through  the  cakes  used  for  novelty 

advertising  in  conjunction  with  the  school  ruler 

queer  sounding  word  that  most  people  forgot.  The 
smallest  child,  if  he  could  talk  at  all,  knew  that  the 
"Blue"  man  sold  paint. 

But  now  I  encountered  a  danger  I  had  not  foreseen 
The  mere  establishing  of  an  identity  was  by  no  means 
the  whole  problem.  I  must  prove  that  something  worth 
while  existed  behind  that  identity  or  the  people  would 
take  the  opinion  of  other  paint  dealers,  very  freely  ex- 
pressed, that  I  was  only  a  freak  who  couldn't  be  de- 
pended upon  to  sell  the  right  sort  of  goods. 


,56 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

To  guard  against  this  danger,  I  undertook  a  thorough 
study  of  paints,  securing  through  the  government  and 
from  other  sources,  analyses  of  the  various  goods  on  the 
market,  together  with  all  the  technical  information  I 
could  get  about  them.  All  this  I  filed  systematically,  for 
reference.  I  rigidly  excluded  from  my  store  the  ii> 
f erior  goods,  resisting  the  temptation  to  make  temporary 
profit  at  the  expense  of  permanent  trade.  I  found  that 
knowing  one's  goods,  and  the  goods  of  one's  competitor, 
is  a  very  valuable  asset.  This  knowledge  ought  to  go  a 
great  deal  farther  than  the  mere  ability  to  identify  goods 
by  sight.  The  man  who  can  tell  how  an  article  is  made 
and  of  what  ingredients  it  is  composed,  is  the  man  who 
can  effectually  silence  the  loose  assertions  of  prospective 
customers.  I  have  often  been  amazed  by  the  ignorance 
of  dealers — not  in  the  paint  line  alone — about  their 
goods. 

Fortified  thus  with  the  knowledge  that  I  was  selling 
dependable  goods,  I  did  not  worry  over  the  charge  that 
Ballou  was  a  freak.  Instead,  I  set  out  to  make  myself 
seem  more  extravagant.  I  did  not  intend  that  "The 
Blue  Paint  Store"  should  become  a  commonplace  freak. 
I  saw  the  necessity  of  keeping  the  "blue"  idea  contin- 
ually stirred  up  by  fresh  devices,  so  that  it  should  not 
become  stale  or  lose  any  of  its  original  flavor. 

I  have  kept  these  devices  moving  rather  swiftly  ever 
since.  In  the  first  place,  I  make  a  strong  point  of  my 
show  windows.  If  you  can  get  the  public  to  watch  for 
changes,  and  ask  what  are  you  going  to  have  next,  it 
means  good  publicity.  I  use  a  blue  background  for  all 
displays,  and  use  blue  for  all  lettering  or  other  sub- 
sidiary contrivances.  The  displays  themselves  I  aim  to 
make  so  unique  that  crowds  will  gather  automatically. 

For  instance,  one  display  depicted  a  painter,  built 


FIXING    ON    A    RETAIL    POLICY 


57 


out  of  cans  of  paint,  in  the  act  of  falling  off  a  ladder. 
I  took  advantage  of  all  the  display  ideas  given  by  the 
paint  manufacturers  in  their  national  advertisements, 


THE  COUfOKSm  TIHS  J 
MOT  TKAHSFCTMLE 


IF  NOT  DCUCHQ  I 

BALLOU'SPi 

ISSUO)  TO  

ISSUED  BY 


WORCESTER,  MASS. 


FORM  V:    Ballon  sold   gasoline   coupon  books — tinted   blue — at    com- 
mutation prices  and  found  them  successful  pullers  of  regular  customers 

and  used  all  the  window  displays  sent  out  by  the  adver- 
tiser. I  receive  great  benefit  from  this  service,  and  I 
cooperate  with  them  in  getting  up  new  ideas.  I  have 
all  sorts  of  demonstrations  in  my  windows,  too,  and 
I  find  them  very  successful.  I  have  won  several  prizes, 
offered  by  manufacturers  for  window  displays  and  sell- 
ing devices. 

I  change  my  displays  once  a  week  or  oftener,  and  I 
make  it  a  point  to  use  local  events  for  advertising  pur- 
poses. Thus,  the  employees  of  the  envelope  factories  had 
an  excursion  to  the  ocean.  There  are  about  twenty-eight 
hundred  of  them  and  many  own  their  own  homes  and  are 
consumers  of  paint.  It  pleased  them  mightily  when 
1 '  The  Blue  Paint  Store ' '  came  out  one  day,  about  a  week 
before  the  excursion,  with  an  elaborate  seashore  scene, 
painted  chiefly  in  blue  tints,  on  one  of  the  windows. 
The  thing  was  not  exactly  a  work  of  art,  but  it  covered 


58 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

the  entire  window  and  had  a  humorous  element.  A 
blue  placard  announced  that  the  paint  store  would  sell 
tickets  for  the  excursion.  Crowds  came  down  from  the 
factories  to  see  the  painting  and  you  may  be  sure  that 
Ballou  will  not  be  forgotten  by  the  envelope  workers. 
They  will  never  have  any  trouble  remembering  where 
the  store  is  or  what  the  name  is.  They  will  simply  need 
to  think  of  the  color. 

LOCAL  events  bring  profits  when  you  connect  adver- 
tising to  them  and  reach  purchasers  with  home  news 
— Ballou  made  the  baseball  news  sell  paint. 

During  a  world  series  for  the  baseball  championship, 
I  had  painted  on  the  window  the  huge  "world"  trade- 
mark of  the  paint  and  varnish  house  whose  products  I 
sell.  Inside  the  world  appeared  the  scores,  innings,  bat- 
teries, total  runs,  hits,  and  errors.  "We  kept  this  score 
right  up  to  the  minute — and  also  had  a  girl  doing  noth- 
ing but  answering  telephone  inquiries. 

When  the  'phone  rang  our  girl  answered:  " Ballou 's 
Paint  Store."  The  question  came,  "What  is  the  score 
now?"  We  had  three  hundred  and  fifty  calls  one  day, 
in  two  hours.  I  think  this  was  an  effective  way  of  im- 
pressing the  name  of  the  store  on  all  who  telephoned,  as 
well  as  those  who  watched  the  window. 

After  the  second  day  of  that  series,  one  could  not  but 
see  that  the  name  "Ballou"  was  in  the  minds  of  those 
who  were  following  the  games,  as  they  called  for  Bal- 
lou 's  Paint  Store  at  once  for  information. '  The  crowds 
of  men,  women  and  children  standing  in  front  of  the 
store  afternoons,  watching  the  score,  was  amaz- 
ing. Sales  that  week  were  booming  on  shelf  goods,  such! 
as  varnishes,  floor  waxes  and  paint.  Better  still,  "The 
Blue  Store"  made  a  hit — a  home  run  at  that. 


FIXING    ON    A    RETAIL    POLICY 59 

In  the  summer  I  keep  busy  at  the  nearby  county  fairs, 
and  blue  is  my  scheme  there,  too.  Once  I  had  a  blue 
fishing  scene  painted  on  a  great  piece  of  canvas.  It  was 
hung  up  in  a  booth,  and  the  people  were  allowed  to 
"fish"  at  five  cents  each.  A  fisherman,  dangling  a  line 


TELEPHONE.  WoKcesrei*  PARK  353O 


is  entitled  to  call  this  Company  by  Long  Distance 
Teleplwne  without  charge 

g!  EXPIRES   DECEMBER   31,   1913 

BALLOU'S  PAINT  STORE 

MAKE  YOUR  CALLS 

EXACTLY  AS  DIRECTED  6, 

ON  BACK  OP  CARD 


FORM  VI:     This  "telephone  pass"  was  successfully  used  by  Ballou  to 

put  out-of-town  customers  on  the  same  basis  as  city  buyers.     He  assumes 

the  toll  charge  on  purchases  made  by  telephone 

against  the  canvas,  would  hook  up  a  sample  can  of 
enamel,  or  something  of  that  sort — always  well  worth 
the  price,  and  at  the  same  time  having  an  advertising 
value.  In  winter,  the  same  plan  is  followed  at  church 
fairs — at  one  fair,  it  netted  thirty-five  dollars  in  cash. 
I  take  my  customers  motoring,  sometimes  for  pleas- 
ure and  at  other  times  for  business.  Each  week  of  the 
summer  I  take  one  day  off  and  visit  other  paint  stores 
and  the  factories  in  search  of  new  thoughts  and  de- 
vices. I  exchange  many  ideas  and  experiences  and  re- 
ceive good  ones  in  return.  I  find  getting  business  is  like 


60 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

fishing — my  particular  hobby.  You  have  to  use  differ- 
ent bait  for  different  kinds  of  fish.  You  must  use  various 
means  of  advertising  to  reach  the  public — something  new 
and  different  each  time. 

NOVEL  advertising  campaigns  like  this  awaken  fagged 
attention  and  impress  your  claims  on  many  pros- 
pects who  would  not  notice  conventional  appeals. 

Once  it  occurred  to  me  to  send  out  to  all  my  good 
customers  my  regular  form  of  blue  statement,  leaving 
the  dollars  and  cents  column  blank  and  typewriting  on 
the  body  of  the  statement  this  line,  "You  do  not  owe 
us  a  cent;  we  wish  you  did."  Well,  a  lot  of  people  came 
down  to  see  us  about  it.  One  fine  old  lady  came  in  very 
much  disturbed. 

* '  Mr.  Ballou, '  '  she  said, ' 1 1  am  quite  sure  I  settled  my 
account  with  you,  but  here  is  a  bill.  You  have  made 
some  mistake. ' ' 

"If  we  have,"  I  answered,  "we'll  certainly  make  it 
right.  How  much  does  the  bill  say  you  owe  us?" 

"I  don't  just  remember,"  she  said,  taking  it  from  her 
bag  and  adjusting  her  glasses.  Then  for  the  first  time 
she  saw  the  joke,  and  she  was  so  pleased  that  she  de- 
clared I  would  soon  have  a  real  bill  against  her.  An- 
other customer  declared  that  he  meant  to  preserve  that 
unique  statement  and  exhibit  it  whenever  necessary  to 
show  that  his  credit  was  good.  He  is  a  walking  adver- 
tisement for  ' '  The  Blue  Store. ' '  That  is  what  I  was  after. 

My  grandfather,  no  doubt,  would  disapprove  very 
sternly  of  my  little  business  gaieties  and  of  my  blue 
motor  car.  But  when  he  had  the  business  it  wasn't  a 
blue  store.  Now  it  is  a  living,  breathing  thing*,  with  a 
personality  just  as  actual  as  that  of  a  human  being. 
That  is  why  I  like  to  have  smiles  as  well  as  grimness. 


FIXING    ON    A    RETAIL    POLICY 61 

When  people  think  of  "The  Blue  Paint  Store"  I  want 
them  to  think  of  it  as  a  pleasant  place  to  go. 

There  are  various  devices  in  the  store  to  put  customers 
in  a  pleasant  mood.  I  like  to  have  some  agreeable 
proverbs  posted  around — in  blue,  of  course.  I  have  a 
blue  windmill,  in  cardboard,  and  blue  pictures,  and  some 
blue  placards,  framed,  telling  how  a  combination  ' '  house- 
hold economy "  set  may  be  obtained  at  reduced  prices. 
And  when  the  customer  goes  out  he  sees,  as  he  passes 
through  the  door,  a  blue  farewell  that  says  to  him, 
"Thank  you,  call  again." 

When  a  man  buys  paint  at  my  store  and  paints  his 
house,  I  have  a  photograph  taken  of  the  house.  Then  I 
have  a  print  neatly  mounted,  or  sometimes  even  framed, 
and  present  it  to  him.  I  have  customers  who  have  gath- 
ered quite  a  collection  of  my  photographs  in  this  way. 
They  have  a  number  of  houses  covered  with  my  paint. 
Farmers  frequently  have  whole  strings  of  pictures  on 
their  walls,  showing  their  various  barns  and  other  build- 
ings freshly  painted  with  Ballou's  paints.  It  is  an 
agreeable  thing  for  the  farmers,  and  the  pictures  are  an 
ever-present  reminder  of  Ballou. 

The  average  store  remains  insignificant,  I  believe, 
chiefly  because  it  has  no  personality.  Just  as  a  man  must 
have  a  strong  personality  to  rise  above  the  mediocre  per- 
sons about  him,  so  the  store  must  be  aggressively  and 
agreeably  personal  if  it  is  to  get  out  of  the  dead-level 
class.  Next  in  importance  to  the  goods  themselves,  is 
the  atmosphere  of  the  business.  Every  store  cannot  be 
a  blue,  or  red,  or  green  store,  but  every  store  can  estab- 
lish its  own  individuality  in  some  way. 

I  am  working  out  of  the  small  class,  and  have  had  and 
still  have  to  work  hard  and  keep  thinking  in  order  to 
crowd  my  way  farther  up,  or  even  to  hold  fast  at  the 


62 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

point  where  I  am.  But  I  have  demonstrated  that  a 
business  may  have  possibilities  even  though  it  has  taken 
sixty  years  to  give  it  a  valuation  of  less  than  two  hun- 
dred dollars.  With  a  present  volume  bounding  along 
toward  the  one  hundred  thousand  dollar  mark  in  annual 
trade,  and  with  a  yearly  gain  very  pleasant  to  contem- 
plate, I  am  quite  satisfied  to  go  along  with  the  labor  and 
fun  of  business  building. 


and  beyond  the  merchandise,  its  mechanical  manip- 
ulation  and  the  advertising  of  it,  is  the  problem  of  han- 
dling the  public  and  pleasing  it.  The  true  test  of  courtesy  on 
the  store's  part  comes  not  so  much  at  the  time  goods  are  sold 
as  in  the  handling  of  complaints  and  the  affording  of  little 
points  in  service. 

Every  store  meets  buyers  with  a  smile  and  gracious  treat- 
ment— at  least  it  should.  But  when  you  have  occasion  to  re- 
turn or  exchange  goods,  to  make  a  complaint  regarding  qual- 
ity, or  in  some  way  to  try  to  obtain  satisfaction  for  a  real  or 
fancied  grievance — how  does  the  store  receive  you?  With  the 
same  gracious  desire  to  please  or  with  long  face  and  multiple 
objections?  It  is  the  treatment  at  this  time  that  classifies  the 
store  in  the  estimation  of  the  customer. 

— Henry  C.  Lytton 

President,  The  Hub.  Chicago 


VIII 

CAMPAIGNING  FOR  ORDERS 
BY  TELEPHONE 

By  Tyson  Cook 

CELLING  by  telephone  has  been  divorced  from  rule 
k3  of  thumb.  It  has  been  studied,  developed,  standard- 
ized and  made  a  dependable  factor  in  retail  merchan- 
dizing. The  principles  involved  are  closely  analogous 
to  those  used  in  mail  order  sales.  Selling  an  article  by 
wire,  it  will  readily  be  seen,  is  quite  a  different  thing 
from  selling  it  across  the  counter.  In  the  latter  case, 
the  clerk  has  the  goods,  the  store  atmosphere,  and  his 
own  personality  to  help  land  the  order.  In  the  former, 
practically  all  of  them  disappear  except  a  part  of  his 
personality — that  part  which  he  may  be  able  to  project 
over  a  copper  circuit. 

The  smile,  the  lift  of  the  eyebrow,  the  encouraging  nod 
or  warning  shake  of  the  head,  the  sweeping  gesture,  the 
eloquent  draping  of  fabrics — all  of  these  auxiliaries  van- 
ish when  your  people  attempt  to  sell  by  telephone.  One 
thing  alone  remains — the  polite,  patient  tone  and  the 
courteous  phrase  that  holds  just  the  right  shade  of  de- 
cision. The  customer  must  be  shown  that  telephone 
shopping  is  as  satisfactory  and  in  many  cases  a  great 
deal  more  convenient  than  the  old  face-to-face  method. 

At  the  very  start,  the  man  or  woman  who  would  be 
successful  in  making  telephone  sales  must  learn  the  art 
of  projecting  pleasing  impressions  over  the  wire.  Ex- 


64 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

perience  proves  that  this  is  not  the  easiest  task  in  the 
world.  In  addition,  as  the  first  steps  in  the  necessary 
routine,  the  clerk  must  learn  how  to  transfer  customers 
to  other  departments  and  how  to  get  names  and  ad- 
dresses without  giving  annoyance;  must  have  a  ready 
command  of  the  delivery  service  of  the  store  and,  in 
brief,  know  how  to  render  as  efficient  service  by  tele- 
phone as  across  the  counter. 

TELEPHONE  salesmen  contend  with  various  unusual 
circumstances — they    should    be    carefully    picked 
because  they  supply  a  service  by  which  you  are  judged. 

Not  every  clerk  makes  a  good  telephone  salesman.  The 
personal  equipment  of  those  who  are  to  do  your  tele- 
phoning, therefore,  should  be  examined.  Be  careful, 
for  example,  that  your  telephone  clerk  is  normal  physi- 
cally and  cheerful  mentally.  A  person  with  " nerves" 
has  no  right  at  the  mouthpiece  of  a  business-getting  tel- 
ephone. Make  sure,  also,  about  such  things  as  general 
sales  ability,  physical  defects  such  as  deafness,  imperfect, 
enunciation,  throat  affections,  especially  hoarseness — all 
of  these  and  others.  Efficient  or  inefficient,  the  clerk  at 
the  end  of  the  wire  stands  for  the  store  and  the  store  will 
be  judged  by  the  service  the  clerk  is  able  to  give. 

Every  store  has  certain  clerks  with  a  natural  talent 
for  gaming  the  confidence  and  liking  of  many  cus- 
tomers. Buyers  ask  for  them  and  prefer  to  wait  for 
them,  should  they  be  busy  with  other  patrons,  rather 
than  have  other  clerks  serve  them.  Such  employees  are 
good  selections  with  whom  to  make  a  start  in  going  after 
telephone  orders  during  the  slack  hours  of  the  morning 
or  in  organizing  a  telephone  sales  department. 

"How  did  you  make  your  start ?"  was  the  question 
put  to  the  manager  of  mail  and  telephone  sales  in  a 


SALES    BY    TELEPHONE 65 

large  store  noted  for  its  success  in  going  after  business 
by  telephone. 

"Well,"  he  answered,  after  thinking  a  moment,  "we 
started  at  the  right  place.  I  mean  this.  Two  years  ago 
our  store  telephone  service  was  below  par.  We  realized 
it  and  wanted  to  make  it  better.  At  that  time  the  idea 
was  to  bring  our  telephone  efficiency  up  to  our  standards 
in  other  lines,  rather  than  to  launch  a  definite  sales-by- 
telephone  campaign. 

"I  soon  found  that  it  was  much  like  swinging  your 
golf  clubs.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  learn  the  technic 
of  the  game — and  then  forget  it.  With  the  help  of  a 
young  woman  from  the  mail  sales  force,  we  began  to 
teach  our  salespeople  what  you  might  call  the  mechanics 
of  telephone  usage. 

"My  assistant's  first  task  was  to  choose  five  or  six 
young  women  to  aid  her  in  demonstrating  the  proper 
method  of  handling  orders.  She  took  several  days  to 
find  the  right  ones;  at  the  end  of  that  time  I  met  the 
group  in  my  office  and  we  had  the  first  of  a  series  of 
conferences,  with  a  stenographer  present  to  take  down 
our  ideas.  Each  one  of  us  took  a  copy  of  these  minutes 
and  between  meetings  studied  the  operations  by  which 
we  hoped  to  bring  successful  results.  Gradually  we 
worked  out  the  methods  that  gave  best  results  and  com- 
piled a  series  of  telephone  sales  questions,  phrases  and 
answers  for  the  use  of  the  various  departments.  In  these 
we  grouped  the  quickest  and  most  efficient  ways  of 
handling  customers  and  boiled  down  the  necessary  ques- 
tions and  answers  into  the  briefest  possible  form. 

"It  took  time,  of  course,  to  convey  our  ideas  to  our 
clerks.  But  once  they  caught  the  drift  of  our  efforts 
it  was  not  difficult.  My  assistant  would  go  into  a  de- 
partment on  Monday  morning  with  an  explanation  of 


66 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

her  purpose.  Then  she  would  stay  until  she  felt  that 
every  clerk  in  the  section  understood  what  we  were  try- 
ing to  do  and  was  in  line  with  the  new  idea.  Then  she 
would  go  on  to  another,  leaving  one  of  her  assistants  in 
her  place  for  a  week  or  two.  In  six  or  eight  months  we 
began  to  receive  compliments  about  our  telephone  service, 
and  better  still,  receipts  from  telephone  sales  began  to 
jump. 

"Let's  see  if  we  can  get  in  on  a  telephone  conversa- 
tion," he  continued.  Adjusting  an  operator's  appa- 
ratus to  his  head  he  switched  his  desk  'phone  into  the 
main  switchboard,  found  a  new  call  coming  in  and  passed 
me  the  receiver. 

"This  is  Blank's  toilet  goods  department,"  I  heard  a 
clerk  announce  without  other  preliminary  speech. 

"Is  Miss  Carson  there?"  inquired  the  customer. 

' '  Just  a  moment,  please ;  I  '11  call  her. ' ' 

After  an  interval  of  probably  eight  or  nine  seconds 
a  pleasant  voice  sounded  on  the  wire  saying,  "This  is 
Miss  Carson — who  is  this,  please?" 

"Mrs.  Davis.  I  want  you  to  send  me  a  number  of 
things  in  the  afternoon  delivery  without  fail.  Can  you 
promise  them,  Miss  Carson?" 

"Yes,  indeed,  Mrs.  Davis.  I'll  mark  the  order  'spe- 
cial' and  attend  to  it  myself." 

A  list  of  half  a  dozen  items  followed.  At  the  end 
Miss  Carson  repeated  the  order  to  avoid  errors.  With  a 
pleasant  "Thank  you,"  and  a  prompt,  "You're  very 
welcome, ' '  the  conversation  was  concluded. 

Briefly  I  told  the  manager  what  I  had  heard. 

"That  was  a  fair  example  of  the  way  we  handle  tele- 
phone orders,"  he  commented.  "Handling  them,  how- 
ever, is  only  the  top  layer  of  the  thing.  We  are  here  not 
only  to  receive  orders,  but  to  go  after  them.  If  you  were 


SALES    BY    TELEPHONE 67 

to  come  in  at  eight  forty-five  or  nine  o'clock  tomorrow 
morning,  the  talk  you  would  hear  going  over  the  wire 
would  be  quite  different. 

"  Until  nine  thirty  every  morning  there  are  compar- 
atively few  customers  in  our  aisles.  At  that  hour, 
Women  with  shopping  to  do  are  thinking  of  coming  down- 
town or  of  telephoning  their  orders.  Instead  of  wait- 
ing for  them  to  come  in  or  telephone,  our  salespeople 
utilize  every  spare  moment  to  call  up  such  of  their  per- 
sonal customers  as  have  not  been  in  recently  and  try 
to  secure  orders  which  might  land  elsewhere.  We  have 
hopes  that  this  plan  will  bring  in  much  business ;  already 
it  has  proved  of  real  value  in  keeping  in  touch  with  cus- 
tomers." 

rf^OLL  charges  are  the  greatest  handicap  to  an  extensive 
L    use  of  the  telephone— frequently  the  establishment 
of  sub- stations  will  overcome  this  difficulty. 

'An  ingenious  use  of  the  telephone  for  securing  orders 
outside  the  limits  of  the  local  telephone  zone  without  the 
handicap  of  additional  toll  charges  has  been  devised  by 
a  grocery  store  in  one  of  the  important  suburbs  of  Chi- 
cago. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances,  the  trade  of  this  store 
would  be  confined  almost  exclusively  to  the  immediate 
neighborhood.  Eight  miles  away,  however,  is  a  town 
that  furnishes  an  inviting  market,  inasmuch  as  it  is  a 
fashionable  residential  district.  The  population  is  not 
large,  but  is  made  up  of  people  of  wealth  and  position 
whose  custom  is  highly  desirable.  The  local  grocery 
store  is  small  and  has  little  competition  except  from  the 
larger  stores  in  the  city.  On  regular  daily  orders,  it  is 
patronized  chiefly  because  of  its  convenience. 

To  secure  a  part  of  this  trade,  the  suburban  merchant 


68 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

established  a  "  relay "  telephone  station  at  a  point  mid- 
way between  the  two  towns  and  just  at  the  local  tele- 
phone zone  boundary.  He  then  issued  an  announcement 
to  his  customers  and  to  a  list  of  prospective  customers 
in  the  neighboring  township,  inviting  them  to  tele- 
phone their  orders  to  this  point,  whence  they  would  be 
relayed  to  his  store  without  extra  charge.  In  this  way 
he  has  succeeded  in  extending  the  radius  of  his  market 
without  the  imposition  of  the  toll  charge  that  direct 
communication  with  his  store  entails. 

Much  of  this  trade  is  secured  at  the  expense  of  the 
city  store  rather  than  of  the  local  grocer,  as  the  merchant 
haa  solicited  business  with  the  argument  that  he  carries 
a  large  assortment  of  goods  and  can  furnish  on  short 
notice,  many  kinds  of  specialties  that  heretofore  were 
obtainable  only  with  greater  delay  and  more  effort  from 
Chicago.  The  plan  has  worked  out  so  successfully  that 
the  grocer  is  extending  his  market  in  other  directions. 

The  "  mechanics "  of  telephone  usage,  on  which  mer- 
chants should  lay  particular  stress,  is  a  phase  of  tele- 
phone selling  that  calls  for  close  study.  Not  a  few  stores, 
large  and  small,  fall  into  the  error  so  carefully  avoided 
in  the  case  above  cited — that  of  trying  to  begin  a  tele- 
phone campaign  at  full  capacity.  The  handicaps  and 
possibilities  of  the  telephone  should  be  studied,  the 
drawbacks  minimized  and  the  best  method  in  telephone 
speech  should  become  automatic  before  the  clerk  goes 
after  business. 

In  the  beginning,  clerks  should  be  taught  to  under- 
stand the  rudiments  of  telephone  operating.  They  should 
appreciate  its  difficulties.  It  is  a  serious  drawback  to 
efficiency  when  sales  folk  get  into  the  rut  of  thinking  all 
telephone  difficulties  due  to  incompetent  operating.  They 
should  know,  for  instance,  what  the  term  "peak  hour" 


SALES    BY    TELEPHONE 69 

means.  The  morning  peak  hour  especially  should  be 
recognized.  It  is  then  that  telephone  lines  are  in  great 
demand  and  the  operators  frantically  busy.  Your  store 
telephones  should  be  free  from  unnecessary  outgoing 
calls.  Let  them  be  wide  open  for  inquiries  and  orders. 
See  that  personal  conversations  are  omitted  during  rush 
hours. 

It  is  vital  that,  in  going  after  telephone  orders,  the 
employer  study  the  peak  conditions  referred  to.  In 
order  to  utilize  salespeople  to  the  best  advantage  and 
make  sales  by  wire  with  a  high  percentage  of  results,  you 
should  be  in  harmony  with  the  daily  tides  in  the  service. 
Find  out  when  the  rush  of  calls  from  residences  occurs. 
Your  local  telephone  manager  will  be  glad  to  give  you 
exact  information  on  that  score  and  help  you  make  the 
most  of  your  service.  The  idea  is  to  have  your  telephone 
sales  force  on  the  line  calling  prospective  buyers  before 
they  have  had  a  chance  to  place  their  orders  elsewhere. 

HANDLE  a  telephone  call  carelessly  and  you  treat 
discourteously  an  interested  customer — make  it  plain 
that  telephone  rings  must  be  answered  promptly. 

Have  it  understood  that  a  first  step  in  handling  tele- 
phone calls  properly  is  to  answer  signals  promptly.  If 
employees  are  going  to  "wait  a  minute"  before  they 
take  the  time  to  answer  a  ringing  telephone  they  are  not 
fit  to  answer  it  at  all.  The  clerk  should  never  jerk  the 
receiver  from  the  hook  and  answer  with  "Hello," 
"Well,"  or  some  other  inane  expression.  Let  the  an- 
nouncement be  the  name  of  the  store,  adding  ' '  Shoe  De- 
partment," "Hardware,"  or  whatever  department  it 
may  be,  and  the  clerk's  name  may  also  follow. 

Impress  upon  your  clerks  the  importance  of  being 
ready  to  talk  business  the  moment  they  lift  the  receiver. 


70 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

It  is  annoying  to  the  customer  to  have  the  salesman  an- 
swer a  telephone — even  though  the  answer  be  prompt — • 
and  then  continue  talking  to  someone  else  for  a  brief 
time  before  giving  all  his  attention  to  the  wants  of  the 
caller. 

After  the  clerk  has  announced  his  department,  if  the 
customer  should  say  she  wishes  some  other  department  or 
something  of  that  kind,  the  employee  should  be  ready 
with  a  courteous  sentence  that  shows  no  trace  of  dis- 
pleasure. He  should  say,  "I  am  sorry;  hold  the  wire 
and  I  will  have  you  transferred,"  or  a  phrase  to  that 
effect.  If  your  people  snap  out  " wrong  number,"  or 
1  'wrong  department,"  and  replace  the  receiver,  your 
telephone  sales  are  bound  to  slump. 

When  a  clerk  hangs  up  a  receiver  with  a  customer  still 
on  the  line,  the  operator  at  the  switchboard  probably 
thinks  the  conversation  ended.  If  too  busy  to  "listen 
in,"  she  disconnects.  This  leaves  the  customer  free  to 
do  one  of  three  things:  go  through  the  whole  routine  of 
re-calling,  call  another  store  where  she  hopes  to  receive 
better  service,  or  give  up  the  effort  entirely. 

Initials,  names,  addresses  and  telephone  numbers 
should  be  obtained  early  in  the  conversation.  Sales  can- 
not be  made  and  goods  delivered  without  these  details. 
There  is  always  a  possibility  that  transmission  trouble 
may  interrupt  a  telephone  conversation.  Even  though 
the  customer  has  placed  an  order,  if  the  name  and  ad- 
dress are  lacking  the  clerk  is  decidedly  at  a  loss  to  make 
delivery,  while  the  customer,  thinking  her  purchase 
has  been  made,  may  count  on  receiving  the  goods  at  a 
certain  time  and  resent  the  store's  failure  to  meet  her 
expectations. 

When  a  telephone  customer  says,  "Let  me  talk  with 
Miss  Halliday,  please,"  be  sure  that  a  sane  answer  is 


SALES    BY    TELEPHONE 71 

forthcoming.  Have  the  clerk  say,  for  instance,  "I  will 
look  for  her,  "  "I  will  send  for  her/'  "I  will  see  if  she's 
free,"  or  something  of  a  similar  nature,  and  then  make 
sure  that  the  promise  is  carried  out.  If  the  clerk  finds 
Miss  Halliday  out,  she  should  come  back  and  announce 
the  fact,  adding  "Can  I  do  anything  for  you?" 

If  this  detail  is  neglected,  another  annoying  mix-up  is 
going  to  occur.  The  minute  the  clerk's  attention  is 
diverted  the  telephone  becomes  "dead."  The  receiver  is 
off  the  hook  and  the  line  is  out  of  service  until  someone 
comes  along  and  notices  it,  or  a  trouble  man  from  head- 
quarters arrives  to  locate  the  difficulty.  Startling  things 
happen  to  the  possible  customer  while  this  is  going  on. 
Annoyance,  exasperation,  discouragement,  and  disgust 
succeed  each  other  in  quick  order,  and  are  often  followed 
by  a  disconnection. 

Customers  frequently  want  information  that  even  the 
well-informed  clerk  cannot  give  immediately.  There  is 
one  standard  way  to  get  around  this  difficulty — to  take 
the  customer's  number  and  promise  that  the  clerk  will 
get  the  desired  information  and  telephone  it  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment.  The  promise  should  be  kept — 
even  if  it  is  only  to  explain  a  delay  in  furnishing  the 
information  or  to  admit  that  it  cannot  be  supplied. 

REMIND  clerks  that  customers  may  want  something 
when  they  have  apparently  completed  a  conversation 
and  thereby  prevent  purchasers  being  cut  off. 

Clerks  should  be  reminded  at  intervals  that  frequently 
patrons  may  seem  to  have  finished  conversations  and 
still  want  something  else.  They  should  never  hang  up 
without  asking,  "Is  there  anything  else  today?"  or,  "Is 
there  any  other  department  to  which  I  may  transfer 
you?"  These  are  the  little  courtesies  which  spell  the 


72 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

difference  between  good  and  indifferent  store  telephone 
service. 

Definite  knowledge  of  the  store's  delivery  service  is  a 
big  asset  in  dealing  with  telephone  customers.  In  no 
store  should  there  be  a  clerk  who  is  willing  to  admit  "I 
really  can't  say  if  we  can  deliver  this."  Many  of  your 
telephone  customers  may  be  suburbanites,  or  may,  at 
least,  live  at  a  distance  from  your  store;  the  question  of 
delivery  is  vital  to  them. 

Many  retailers,  in  widely  different  lines,  have  found 
it  profitable  to  establish  a  special  delivery  to  take 
care  of  rush  telephone  orders.  A  Texas  druggist  has 
built  a  remarkable  business  in  prescriptions  and  spe- 
cialties by  providing  for  immediate  delivery  by  motor- 
cycle of  emergency  necessities.  An  eastern  grocery  firm 
has  adopted  the  same  idea  and  has  a  similar  delivery 
method  for  handling  "hurry"  telephone  orders.  At  each 
of  its  larger  establishments,  it  maintains  a  squad  of 
bicycle  messengers  for  the  handling  of  special  orders 
from  regular  customers.  So  thoroughly  does  the  firm 
believe  in  this  service  that  even  trifling  purchases  are 
sent  immediately  when  the  customer  makes  her  need  ap- 
parent. 

This  grocery  firm,  like  many  other  progressive  stores, 
makes  it  a  point  to  exploit  its  telephone  service  at  reg- 
ular intervals.  Elaborate  window  displays  as  well  as 
newspaper  advertisements  are  used  to  impress  upon 
customers  and  prospects  the  ease  and  safety  of  buying 
by  telephone.  One  window  reproduced  a  corner  of  a 
store.  A  wax  figure  in  the  typical  attire  of  a  grocer 
stood  beside  a  counter,  with  a  telephone  receiver  at  his 
ear — plainly  in  the  act  of  receiving  an  order.  Grouped 
about  the  interior  of  the  window  were  various  specialties 
in  which  the  firm  deals.  Other  telephones  stood  on 


SALES    BY    TELEPHONE 73 

these  different  piles,  and  cords  led  thence  to  the  main 
telephone  in  the  hands  of  the  figure.  As  often  as  such  a 
display  has  been  made  it  has  received  favorable  com- 
ments from  customers.  Usually  it  has  pleased  to 
such  an  extent  that  other  grocers  in  the  vicinity  imme- 
diately imitated  the  idea, 

"In  each  of  our  stores/ '  one  of  the  proprietors  ex- 
plained, "we  designate  certain  clerks  to  solicit  and  re- 
ceive telephone  orders.  We  know  from  experience  that 
it  is  easy  to  kill  telephone  trade  by  using  the  wrong 
salesman.  In  addition  to  soliciting  our  regular  lists 
we  mail  a  series  of  postcards  twice  a  year,  explaining 
our  telephone  facilities  and  inviting  prospective  patrons 
to  make  full  use  of  them.  In  each  new  order  delivered, 
also,  we  insert  advertising  matter  telling  of  the  unusual 
articles  which  we  believe  may  be  bought  satisfactorily  by 
wire.  It  is  surprising  how  little  urging  our  people  need 
to  follow  suggestions." 

A  successful  druggist  in  a  Long  Island  town  has  ap- 
plied the  same  telephone  formula  to  the  solution  of  his 
selling  problem. 

WINDOW  displays,  postcards  and  circular  letters  are 
inexpensive  ways  of  telling  prospects  that  every 
telephone  line  leads  to  your  'phone  order  desk. 

"When  I  came  here,"  he  explains,  "I  realized  that  I 
had  to  compete  with  six  pharmacists  who  had  been  on 
the  ground  from  five  to  ten  years.  I  turned  to  the  tele- 
phone as  an  aid  in  building  up  a  business  and  started  a 
"Telephone  your  order"  campaign  immediately.  I  had 
some  advertising  folders  and  posters  printed,  featuring 
the  sentence  "All  telephones  lead  to  Blank's."  Then  I 
framed  up  a  window  display  exploiting  my  telephone 
plan  of  buying.  The  idea  was  not  new,  but  the  window 


74 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

was  such  an  innovation  in  the  neighborhood  that  there 
were  few  passers-by  who  failed  to  stop  and  get  its  mes- 
sage. 

"The  window  itself  was  simple:  a  semi-circle  of  ta- 
bles laden  with  goods,  and  in  the  center  of  each  table  a 
telephone  was  connected  with  a  central  table  by  visible 
wires.  Signs  told  the  public  how  I  gave  telephone  or- 
ders immediate  attention  and  how  telephoning  would 
save  unnecessary  trips.  On  any  of  the  specialties  in  my 
store  (and  a  druggist's  stock  is  coming  to  contain  a  tre- 
mendous number  of  these)  the  telephone  order  would 
save  much  time.  Before  my  new  service  was  a  month  old 
my  sales  had  passed  the  mark  where  my  store  was  safely 
established.  Since  that  time  there  has  been  a  steady, 
satisfactory  increase,  which  I  attribute,  first  of  all,  to 
the  harnessing  of  the  telephone  to  my  'hunt  for  cus- 
tomers V 

Telephone  talk  should  go  straight  into  the  transmitter. 
The  lips  should  be  placed  close  to  the  mouthpiece,  almost 
touching  it.  Even  in  the  ordinary  small  store,  there  are 
innumerable  noises  which,  though  apparently  of  no  con- 
sequence, frequently  interfere  with  perfect  transmission. 
So  far  as  possible,  every  sound  should  be  excluded  from 
the  circuit  except  the  voices  of  customer  and  clerk. 

The  position  of  the  telephone  when  in  use  is  a  detail 
frequently  overlooked.  The  instrument  should  sit  flat 
on  the  counter,  showcase  or  shelf.  Warn  employees 
against  picking  it  up  and  joggling  it  about.  Such  use 
accomplishes  nothing  in  the  way  of  efficiency;  it  is  lia- 
ble, on  the  other  hand,  to  bring  about  disarrangement 
of  the  delicate  mechanism.  Have  the  telephone  sales 
force  sit,  if  possible,  when  doing  this  work.  It  avoids 
weariness  and  promotes  cheerfulness.  Lay  stress  on  the 
"telephone  smile,"  for  it  is  worth  many  dollars  to  you. 


SALES    BY    TELEPHONE 75 

Telephone  receivers  should  never  be  jangled  rapidly 
when  it  is  necessary  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  op- 
erator. The  hook  should  be  worked  slowly  up  and  down. 
This  is  the  only  safe  way  of  attracting  the  attention  of 
the  operator.  When  she  answers  it  is  an  easy  matter  to 
say,  "  Please  transfer  this  customer  to  the  Cloak  De- 
partment," and  so  forth. 

The  managers  of  a  large  Philadelphia  store  ran  across 
an  unexpected  difficulty  soon  after  launching  a  telephone 
sales  campaign.  Their  idea  appeared  to  be  gaining  in 
favor,  but  its  development  was  hampered  through  the 
lack  of  a  proper  credit  system  for  telephone  buyers. 
They  decided  to  take  a  chance  on  such  credits  and  an- 
nounced that  any  telephone  subscriber  in  good  repute 
with  the  telephone  company  was  free  to  open  a  charge 
account  by  wire.  Investigation  convinced  them  that  the 
telephone  company  inquired  so  thoroughly  into  the  stand- 
ing of  its  subscribers  that  its  reports  would  prove  a 
trustworthy  basis  on  which  to  deliver  merchandise. 

PEOPLE  can  reach  your  counters  with  far  greater  ease 
by  the  telephone  than  they  can  by  any  other  means 
of  communication — capitalize  this  valuable  advantage. 

The  advertisement  announcing  the  innovation  brought 
a  swift  flood  of  telephone  orders.  The  men  back  of  the 
idea,  however,  were  not  rash.  Their  invitation  to  all 
telephone  subscribers  to  open  accounts  had  certain 
strings  attached  to  it.  When  credit  was  requested  by 
wire,  for  example,  by  an  unknown  person,  if  a  small 
amount  was  wanted  the  order  was  approved  for  imme- 
diate delivery ;  but,  in  cases  where  heavier  amounts  were 
involved  in  the  initial  order,  the  regular  channels  were 
used  to  investigate  the  prospect's  standing  before  the 
goods  were  allowed  to  leave  the  store. 


76 THE    SELLING    PLAN 

At  every  step  of  your  telephone  instruction  drive  home 
the  idea  that  you  have  installed  your  more  or  less  elab- 
orate equipment  for  but  one  purpose—to  get  customers 
and  make  sales.  Ill-advised  use  of  that  equipment  will 
prove  harmful  even  to  the  largest  concerns.  Your  peo- 
ple, when  they  get  the  right  thought,  will  realize  that 
telephone  service  costs  money,  and  that  inefficient  use 
of  it  may  cost  the  house  more  than  the  service  itself 
amounts  to. 


'T'HE  department  store  must  base  its  success  or  failure 
•*•  upon  some  groundwork  or  foundation,  the  same  as  that 
upon  which  all  effective  selling  is  based.  As  in  all  salesf 
success  is  made  of,  and  reducible  to,  certain  units  which  have 
varying  importance,  a  large  majority  of  these  being  essential 
to  success.  The  merchant  who  makes  a  success  of  depart- 
ment store  selling,  therefore,  is  the  one  wJio  has  the  best  grasp 
upon  these  essentials  which  are  the  component  parts  of  gen- 
eral salesmanship,  plus  those  special  essentials  peculiar  to 
the  business  of  a  department  store. 

— W.  G.  Chamberlain 

Vice-President,  Skinner,  Chamberlain  &  Company 


PART  II-ORGANIZING 

AND  MANAGING  THE 

SALES  FORCE 

Men— Not  Things 

HPHE  great  factor  in  selling  is  the  human  factor, 
*  and  not  the  things  we  sell.  The  things  must 
be  right,  of  course;  but  it's  people  who  buy  and 
use  the  things,  and  therefore,  it's  people  whom 
we  must  interest  and  deal  with  in  getting  rid  of 
things. 

Too  many  business  men  are  paying  too  much 
attention  to  the  things  they  make  and  not  enough 
attention  to  the  people  who  make  them,  the  peo- 
ple who  sell  them,  and  the  people  who  use  them. 

The  efficient  sales  manager  is  essentially  a  mana- 
ger of  men — not  things.  He  must  know  his  line, 
it  is  true;  but,  far  more  important,  he  should 
know  his  people — the  staff  who  sell  his  products, 
the  customers  who  buy  his  products,  and  the 
consumers  who  use  his  products. 

The  sales  force  must  be  made  efficient,  loyal  and 
enthusiastic;  the  dealers  must  be  made  permanent 
and  friendly  cooperators  in  the  house's  selling 
campaign,  and  the  consumers  must  be  made 
regular  buyers,  satisfied  users  and  enthusiastic 
supporters. 


WALTER  H.  COTTINGHAM 

President,  The  Sherwin-Williams  Company 


IX 

HIRING  AND  HANDLING 
SALESMEN 

By  W.  A.  Waterbury 
Sales  Manager,  A.  B.  Dick  Company 

ASK  any  extensive  employer  what  class  of  men  he 
finds  it  most  difficult  to  obtain  and  he  will  almost 
invariably  tell  you,  "Good  salesmen."  This  is  not  be- 
cause the  supply  of  salesmen  is  limited,  for  there  are 
always  plenty  of  applicants  for  any  open  sales  position. 
The  emphasis  in  the  employer's  reply  is  on  the  word 
' '  good. ' '  The  world  is  full  of  would-be  salesmen  who  are 
trying  to  sell  goods  and  who  in  their  own  minds  think 
they  possess  the  knack  of  selling.  But  the  supply  of 
really  good  men  in  the  selling  profession — if  it  may  be 
called  such — is  distinctly  limited. 

To  the  employer  this  scarcity  of  good  men  is  especially 
unfortunate  because  selling  is  the  most  important  divi- 
sion of  the  business.  On  his  sales  the  success  of  his  busi- 
ness depends  and  when  he  lacks  an  efficient  force  to  dis- 
pose of  his  goods  to  the  consumer,  the  support  of  his 
business  fails. 

Born  salesmen  are  spasmodic  salesmen.  As  a  rule 
they  are  not  evenly  balanced,  and  their  results  are  an 
uncertain  equation  for  the  manufacturer  to  depend  up- 
on when  figuring  on  output  and  general  expenses.  I 
prefer  the  steady  workers;  the  man  who  grinds,  but 
whose  results  show  a  healthy  and  continuous  increase. 
Give  me  a  man  with  a  good  backbone,  susceptible  to  in- 


80 THE    SALES    FORCE 

struction,  willing  to  absorb  and  with  a  disposition  to 
obey  orders;  and  I  will  assume  the  responsibility  of  his 
becoming  a  successful  salesman. 

There  is  no  definite  source  from  which  to  obtain 
men  for  the  sales  department  and  no  one  best  way  of 
reaching  salesmen  when  they  are  wanted.  Newspaper 
classified  advertisements  are  unsatisfactory  because  they 
yield  an  abundance  of  applicants,  a  large  majority  of 
whom  are  entirely  unfitted.  Many  employers  find  space 
in  trade  papers  an  excellent  way  for  getting  in  touch 
with  salesmen.  These  advertisements  bring  fewer  re- 
sponses, but  the  men  are  usually  good  salesmen  and  have 
acquired  experience  in  the  particular  line  the  paper 
represents. 

f*\  OOD  salesmen  are  not  easily  picked  up,  and  manu- 
vJT  facturers  frequently  follow  a  policy  of  training 
inexperienced  men  to  sell  their  particular  lines. 

But  whatever  method  of  reaching  salesmen  is  em- 
ployed, good,  experienced  men  are  not  easily  picked  up, 
because  once  a  firm  secures  a  good  salesman  it  is  not 
anxious  to  let  him  go.  Eecognizing  this  difficulty,  many 
firms  have  adopted  the  policy  of  building  up  their  sales 
force  from  new  and  inexperienced  material. 

The  greatest  care  and  discrimination  should  be  ex- 
ercised before  any  man  is  accepted.  Much  will  depend 
in  considering  an  inexperienced  applicant  upon  his  per- 
sonal appearance  and  evident  ability  to  meet  and  interest 
others;  for  personality  is  an  all-important  factor  in 
salesmanship.  Back  of  this,  however,  he  must  have  a 
foundation  in  education  and  general  character. 

Some  men's  success  is  to  be  attributed  to  a  purely  in- 
dividual characteristic.  It  has  been  said  that  "some 
salesmen  succeed  by  knowing. how  to  talk — others  by 


LINING    UP    SALESMEN 81 

knowing  how  to  listen."  The  wise  sales  manager  is 
always  on  the  lookout  for  half-hidden  evidences  of  pe- 
culiar traits  in  new  men  which  he  foresees  as  possible  of 
development  into  sales  ability.  Very  often  a  recruit 
picked  up  by  chance  suddenly  turns  out  to  be  a  star 
salesman. 

"Some  three  years  ago,"  said  an  official  for  a  large 
Chicago  clothing  house,  ' '  a  young  man  of  promising  ap- 
pearance, who  said  he  had  had  some  experience  as  a 
salesman  in  a  small  western  town,  applied  to  me  for  a 
position  in  my  sales  department.  It  so  happened  that 
we  needed  a  man  and,  not  having  one  in  mind,  I  thought 
it  would  do  no  harm  to  give  him  a  trial. 

"As  a  matter  of  precaution,  however,  I  told  him  to 
accompany  one  of  our  experienced  salesmen  for  a  week  to 
get  a  broader  viewpoint  and  a  business-like  manner  in 
meeting  the  trade. 

"He  joined  our  man  in  a  territory  new  to  our  goods 
and  which  required  a  salesman  of  considerable  charm 
and  impressiveness  to  blaze  an  opening  into  the  trade  of 
long  popular  rivals. 

"After  watching  our  salesman  at  work  upon  an  appar- 
ently hopeless  customer,  the  novice  asked  to  be  allowed 
to  introduce  our  goods  to  the  next  merchant  in  the  town, 
one  who  was  thought  equally  opposed  to  trying  a  new 
firm. 

"His  request  was  granted,  more  for  amusement  than 
hope  of  success.  Not  only  did  the  novice  make  a  good 
first  impression  with  a  prompt  and  direct  line  of  talk, 
but  he  approached  the  proposition  from  an  entirely  new 
angle  and  with  a  strikingly  original  presentation  of  hi/ 
stock  samples. 

"In  less  than  ten  minutes  he  had  made  a  sale  and  se- 
cured the  promise  of  further  trade.  What  is  more  to 


82 THE    SALES    FORCE 

the  point,  he  returned  to  the  first  'hopeless  case*  and 
made  a  sale. 

*  *  That  young  man  is  one  of  our  most  valued  salesmen 
today,  with  every  prospect  of  advancement  in  good  time 
to  the  highest  position  in  his  department.  His  ability 
to  make  himself  valuable,  to  make  opportunities  for  ad- 
vancement, was  his  best  starting  capital." 

Organizing  a  sales  force  means  as  much  as  anything 
getting  together  a  homogeneous  body  of  men,  each  one 
recognizing  the  responsibility  of  his  individual  position 
and  the  success  of  his  individual  efforts,  and  all  pulling 
in  the  harness  to  a  common  end.  Nationality  does  not 
enter  into  this  selection,  but  honesty,  loyalty  and  confi- 
dence are  requirements  that  can  not  be  ignored. 

One  man  may  have  undoubted  ability  in  certain  direc- 
tions, or  in  certain  fields,  but  may  be  weak  in  others. 
Failure  in  one  does  not  necessarily  imply  failure  in  all, 
and  a  weak  man  in  one  locality  may  be  a  power  in  an- 
other. 

GIVE  a  man  a  chance  to  overcome  the  disadvantageous 
location  and  conditions  which  may  be  behind  his 
apparent  failure,  before  deciding  against  him. 

If  my  first  impression  of  such  a  man  were  favorable,  I 
would  transfer  him  to  another  field  or  another  line  of 
work.  Location  or  conditions  may  have  had  much  to  do 
with  his  apparent  failure,  and  I  think  it  will  generally 
be  found  more  profitable  to  try  him  elsewhere  than  to 
sacrifice  what  has  been  spent  in  time,  labor,  and  money 
in  educating  him. 

In  choosing  salesmen  I  select  men  who  will  be  loyal.  A 
man  can  not  serve  two  masters.  It  is  a  great  temptation 
to  some  men  to  handle  a  "side  line,"  and  opportunities 
are  plentiful.  When  a  salesman  enters  my  employ  he  is 


LINING    UP    SALESMEN 83 

given  to  understand  that  no  money  must  stick  to  his 
fingers  but  that  which  comes  from  me.  He  cannot  handle 
a  "side  line"  and  do  justice  to  my  interests.  I  must 
feel  that  every  moment  of  his  time  is  being  given  to  the 
work  and  figuring  how  much  he  can  increase  my  busi- 
ness— not  that  of  someone  else.  I  consider  my  interests 
of  sufficient  magnitude  to  occupy  his  entire  time,  and  I 
cannot  divide  his  services  with  another.  Out  of  hun- 
dreds of  salesmen  I  have  employed  in  the  past  ten  or 
fifteen  years,  I  can  not  point  to  a  single  one  who  has 
been  disloyal.  Nor  could  a  man  long  deceive  me.  His 
work  would  show  indifference,  even  if  knowledge  of  his 
disloyalty  did  not  come  to  my  attention  from  other 
sources. 

1  do  not  think  the  temptation  to  handle  "side  lines" 
is  so  great  with  city  salesmen  as  with  traveling  salesmen. 
The  city  man  is  working  in  a  more  thickly  populated  and 
congested  field,  where  the  business  hours  are  shorter  and 
his  time  is  more  fully  occupied,  but  there  is  temptation 
for  the  traveling  man  who  is  away  from  home  for  long 
periods  at  a  time,  and  beyond  the  observation  of  the  home 
office.  I  can  offer  this  advice  to  every  salesman — steer 
clear  of  "side  lines. "  There  is  nothing  in  them  in  the 
long  run.  And  to  employers — organize  your  men  so  that 
"loyalty"  will  appear  on  the  face  of  every  one  of  them. 

Having  selected  my  man,  I  endeavor  to  inspire  him 
with  confidence  in  his  ability  to  handle  my  interests 
successfully.  While  it  is  not  necessary  to  relinquish  con- 
trol of  my  affairs,  or  my  right  to  conduct  my  business 
according  to  my  own  ideas,  there  is  always  a  way  to  do 
this  without  making  him  feel  that  he  is  only  an  autom- 
aton. I  believe  in  giving  a  salesman  the  greatest 
possible  freedom  of  action  consistent  with  the  con- 
ditions of  the  business.  I  impress  upon  him  the  re- 


84 THE    SALES    FORCE    

sponsibility  which  is  resting  upon  his  shoulders,  the  value 
to  him  as  well  as  to  me  of  his  success,  and  the  importance 
of  obeying  orders,  adhering  to  facts,  and  getting  busi- 
ness. 

If  his  opinion  differs  from  mine  on  certain  matters,  he 
should  remember  that  I  am  in  touch  with  general,  while 
he  is  familiar  only  with  local,  conditions,  and  that  I  have' 
probably  sufficient  reason  for  thinking  differently.  In 
any  event,  he  should  appreciate  that  his  responsibility 
ends  when  someone  above  him  assumes  it,  and  that  he  is 
only  a  working  part  of  a  machine  which  can  not  per- 
form its  functions  successfully  unless  every  part  moves 
without  friction. 

/CAREFUL  observation,  self-control  and  close  applica- 
v-'  tion  combine  to  give  the  average  salesman  his  stock 
in  trade — ability  to  read  human  nature. 

I  do  not  want  a  salesman  in  my  service  whose  honesty 
or  loyalty  is  under  suspicion.  The  physical  as  well  as 
the  moral  effect  is  injurious.  He  is  a  weak  part  in  the 
machine,  the  collapse  of  which  at  an  unexpected  moment 
may  disarrange  the  adjustment  or  operation  of  the  entire 
business.  If  I  have  lost  confidence  in  him  I  find  myself 
unconsciously  withdrawing  my  support  and  my  interest 
in  his  success,  which,  of  course,  cripples  the  business  in 
his  field.  If  such  a  suspicion  arises,  I  have  it  out  with 
him  and  give  him  the  opportunity  to  clear  himself.  I 
make  allowances  for  the  fallibility  of  human  nature  and 
recognize  the  fact  that  all  men  may  at  times  be  honestly 
mistaken.  If  my  suspicion  is  not  removed,  he  must  go. 
In  justice  to  my  loyal  men  I  am  unwilling  to  feel  that 
there  is  a  traitor  in  the  ranks,  and  I  can  not  have  my 
business  handicapped  by  an  uncertain  quantity. 

" Salesmanship "  may  be  interpreted  as   ''ability  to 


LINING    UP    SALESMEN 85 

read  human  nature. "  It  is  not  to  be  assumed  that  every 
man  aspiring  to  become  a  salesman  possesses  this  qualifi- 
cation at  the  start,  but  careful  observation,  self-control, 
and  close  application  will  enable  him  to  develop  it.  It  is 
quite  as  important  that  a  salesman  should  be  a  good 
listener  as  a  good  talker ;  quick  to  perceive  when  he  has 
said  enough.  A  salesman  will  at  times  sell  his  goods  by 
talking,  at  other  times  he  will  get  his  order  quickest  by 
letting  his  customer  talk.  Ability  to  read  human  nature 
will  enable  him  to  determine  when  he  has  said  enough. 

I  keep  my  business  in  such  condition  that  it  can  not  be 
interrupted  by  the  resignation  or  removal  of  any  man  in 
my  employ.  A  few  moments  at  the  close  of  each  day  is 
sufficient  to  give  the  home  office  details  of  what  has 
transpired  with  the  trade,  a  brief  synopsis  of  which  in 
condensed  form  is  available  whenever  needed.  A  dupli- 
cate of  this  information  should  be  retained  by  the  sales- 
man. There  is  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  some  man- 
agers to  avoid  letting  a  salesman  "know  too  much."  I 
believe  that  a  salesman  can  perform  his  work  more  suc- 
cessfully when  in  possession  of  all  the  facts  and  condi- 
tions affecting  the  business  in  his  own  field. 

The  possibility  of  his  leaving  my  employ  and  entering 
that  of  a  competitor  does  not  alarm  me.  Business  men 
are,  as  a  rule,  broad  gauged  men  who  do  not  seek  ad- 
vantages from  betrayed  confidences,  and  salesmen  who 
undertake  to  profit  by  them  discredit  themselves  and  only 
lose  caste  with  their  employers.  Furthermore,  I  make  it 
a  rule  to  have  an  understudy  for  every  man  in  my  em- 
ploy; one  who,  if  the  machine  is  crippled  suddenly  or 
unexpectedly,  can  take  up  the  broken  ends  and  continue 
the  work  without  interruption  or  injury  to  the  business. 

I  know  every  day  what  my  salesmen  have  accomplished 
the  previous  day,  the  corresponding  day  last  month  and 


86 THE    SALES    FORCE 

last  year,  and  a  statement  of  this  in  condensed  form  is 
furnished  to  each  man  monthly  for  his  own  information 
and  to  let  him  know  that  I  am  watching  his  business. 
The  effect  is  beneficial,  as  no  conscientious  salesman 
likes  to  see  confronting  him  evidence  of  falling  sales. 

I  avoid  nagging  letters,  do  not  find  fault  with  a  sales- 
man, criticise  his  methods,  or  tell  him  after  a  thing  is 
done,  that  I  will  not  support  him.  If  he  has  erred,  I 
show  him  in  a  friendly  way  how  and  why,  but  I  support 
him  in  what  he  has  done  and  make  him  feel  that  I  am 
supporting  him.  Selling  goods  is  not  always  the  pleas- 
antest  occupation,  and  there  is  nothing  that  will  take  the 
ambition  out  of  a  good  man  quicker  or  more  effectively 
than  a  fault-finding  letter  from  the  home  office.  If  he 
has  outlived  his  usefulness,  or  ceased  to  render  satis- 
factory service,  I  dispense  with  his  services,  but  do  not 
find  fault.  Salesmen  are,  in  a  measure,  creatures  of 
circumstances,  having  their  moods,  and  are  susceptible  to 
surroundings.  They  have  their  "on"  and  "off"  days. 
The  continuous  grind  demands  relaxation.  Good  busi- 
ness braces  them  up  and  enables  them  to  store  their 
energy  for  reserve,  but  poor  business  has  a  depressing 
effect,  and  they  are  obliged  to  call  on  that  reserve.  Noth- 
ing will  exhaust  it  quicker  than  criticism  from  head- 
quarters when  they  are  doing  their  best,  and  encourage- 
ment is  what  they  need.  For  days  after,  their  spirits  are 
depressed,  and  they  are  an  injury  rather  than  a  benefit 
to  the  business.  A  good  salesman  does  not  need  prodding, 
and  he  who  handles  the  correspondence  at  the  home 
office  should  be  a  man  of  tact  and  even  temper,  and 
one  not  likely  to  allow  any  personal  feeling  to  creep  into 
letters  to  irritate  the  man  who  is  getting  the  orders. 

I  do  not  say  that  the  man  who  does  what  I  do,  and 
what  I  recommend,  will  have  all  smooth  sailing.  There 


LINING    UP    SALESMEN 87 

are  annoyances  that  enter  into  the  conduct  of  any  large 
business  employing  a  force  of  men,  but  the  general  appli- 
cation of  these  ideas  has  worked  successfully  with  me. 
My  business  moves  like  clockwork,  without  friction,  and 
I  have  yet  to  find  a  better  plan. 


"C'VERY  merchant  of  middle  age  remembers  the  time  when 
•"^  his  business  was  built  practically  on  his  personal  ac- 
quaintance. Then  Mrs.  Jones  traded  at  Smith's  because 
Mr.  Smith  was  an  elder  in  her  church;  and  Mr.  Jones  bought 
his  clothing  at  Brown's  because  he  and  Brown  were  members 
of  the  same  lodge. 

A  business  on  such  a  foundation  is  valuable  just  so  long  as 
the  proprietor  is  able  to  spread  his  personality  over  the  entire 
community.  By  and  by,  when  the  town  ceases  to  be  a  village 
and  becomes  a  city,  he  is  unable  to  know  every  one  by  name  or 
to  come  into  frequent  contact  with  a  large  proportion  of  his 
possible  trade  through  social  or  religious  or  fraternal  methods. 

To  his  surprise  he  finds  that  other  men — now  younger  than 
he — are  taking  away  from  him  even  those  old  customers,  those 
old  personal  friends  whose  trade  he  instinctively  felt  he  owned. 
Then  he  learns  that  personal  good  will  is  a  very  unstable  asset. 
Unless  his  business  receives  an  infusion  of  new  blood  or  new 
methods  it  languishes  and  finally  passes  away. 

— Ben  B.  Hampton 


TEAM  WORK  AMONG 
SALESMEN 

By  W.  A.  Waterbury 
Sales  Manager,  A.  B.  Dick  Company 

EFFICIENT  sales  organizations  cannot  be  created  in 
a  day,  neither  can  they  be  purchased  outright.  They 
arrive  at  a  state  of  perfection  only  by  a  process  of  evo- 
lution calling  for  careful  judgment  and  wise  discrimina- 
tion in  selecting  the  material  to  be  used.  There  must  be 
on  the  part  of  both  manager  and  salesman  implicit  con- 
fidence in  the  merit  of  the  goods  sold  and  unwavering 
loyalty  to  the  interests  mutually  represented. 

The  selling  end  of  an  organization  may  be  compared 
to  the  motive  power  of  a  vast  and  intricate  machine,  af- 
fecting the  dividends  according  to  its  strength  or  its 
weakness ;  each  unit  is  a  cog  in  the  driving  wheel,  which, 
if  weakened  or  impaired,  fails  to  deliver  its  quota  of 
power  to  the  machine. 

(This  development  must  come  to  a  great  extent  from 
the  inside  rather  than  the  outside.  The  successful  build- 
ing of  a  sales  force  is  largely  dependent  upon  the  ability 
of  the  employer  or  sales  manager  to  exercise  judgment 
and  discrimination  in  the  selecting,  training  and  han- 
dling of  his  men. 

When  an  applicant  has  been  accepted  by  the  sales 
manager,  he  should  be  put  through  a  course  of  training 
designed  to  fit  him  for  presenting  well  the  firm's  goods. 
The  amount  of  training  necessary  to  equip  a  salesman  for 


TEAM    WORK     IN    SELLING 89 

the  road  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the  goods  he  is  to 
handle.  For  selling  to  an  established  retail  trade  only  a 
general  knowledge  of  his  line  is  essential,  combined  with 
the  faculty  of  making  friends  and  building  up  business 
for  the  house. 

But  the  salesman  introducing  direct  to  the  consumer 
an  expensive  product,  such  as  a  vacuum  cleaner  or  a 
typewriter,  requires  a  much  more  extensive  preparation. 
In  the  modern  sales  training  course  he  begins  with  study 
in  the  factory,  where  he  follows  first  hand  each  step  in 
the  manufacture  of  the  product,  observes  the  reason  for 
each  part  and  learns  how  to  adjust  and  repair  it.  Fol- 
lowing this  he  is  trained  in  sales  talk  and  sales  argu- 
ments. He  masters  every  selling  point  and  learns  how  to 
meet  every  usual  objection. 

HOWEVER  well  and  carefully  you  train  a  salesman, 
he  will  be  of  little  use  unless  you  guide  him  wisely 
from  the  home  office  with  instructions  and  advice. 

Giving  salesmen  a  specific  course  of  training  is  a 
radical  change  from  old  time  methods.  More  and  more 
the  employer  is  coming  to  prefer  the  trained  man.  But, 
however  carefully  a  salesman  may  be  trained,  he  cannot 
do  his  best  work  for  the  house  unless  he  is  wisely  handled 
after  he  takes  the  road.  This  requires  exceptional  tact 
on  the  part  of  the  sales  manager,  for  it  is  seldom  that 
two  men  on  the  same  force  can  be  handled  in  exactly 
the  same  way.  Some  require  constant  encouragement; 
some  need  an  occasional  word  of  criticism ;  with  others  a 
judicious  word  of  praise  here  and  there  is  sufficient  to 
keep  them  at  their  best.  To  be  most  successful  the  sales- 
man should  be  in  constant  touch  with  the  home  office  and 
continually  posted  with  all  important  information. 

Ideas  vary  as  to  the  best  means  of  keeping  up  en- 


90 THE    SALES    FORCE 

thusiasm  in  the  sales  force.  Many  of  the  larger  concerns 
in  the  country  publish  a  house  organ  for  the  salesmen 
through  which  each  man  learns  of  the  work  and  success 
of  the  other  men  on  the  force.  Many  believe  this  one  of 
the  best  incentives  to  increased  endeavor.  Others,  how- 
ever, take  very  little  stock  in  the  idea  of  increasing  sales 
efficiency  with  " ginger  talk"  from  the  home  office. 

"  There  is  only  one  way  to  make  a  salesman  enthusi- 
astic, ' '  says  a  sales  manager.  ' '  Give  him  something  that 
has  true  worth  to  sell;  make  him  believe  that  it  is  the 
very  best  thing  of  the  kind  on  the  market;  give  him  an 
opportunity  to  make  money  at  the  work;  and  you  will 
find  your  man  selling  goods  for  dear  life.  The  article 
that  the  salesman  gets  enthusiastic  about  is  the  one  he 
believes  in,  has  faith  in,  and,  above  all,  can  make  money 
on." 

Both  attitudes  contain  an  element  of  wisdom.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  a  salesman  will  do  better  work  if  he  has 
the  assurance  of  constant  support  from  his  manager  and 
is  given  enthusiastic  talk  either  through  personal  letters 
or  a  house  organ.  But  no  sales  manager  would  think 
this  support  sufficient.  Every  salesman  wants  to  make 
as  much  money  as  his  ability  will  bring  him  and  he  is 
deserving  of  an  opportunity  to  do  so.  The  relative  value 
of  salesmen  should  be  carefully  watched  and  each  man 
given  opportunities  and  remuneration  in  proportion  to 
his  demonstrated  ability  to  sell  goods. 

We  are  not  original.  What  we  own  we  enjoy  by  in- 
heritance or  acquisition  from  others.  We  are  simply 
telling  an  old  story  in  a  new  way,  modifying  it  to  meet 
existing  conditions.  No  one  man  can  claim  a  monopoly 
of  all  the  qualifications  for  successful  salesmanship,  but 
knowledge  is  power,  and  he  who  has  most  of  it,  coupled 
with  the  best  ability  to  utilize  it,  enjoys  advantages  that 


TEAM    WORK    IN    SELLING 91 

should  contribute  largely  to  his  success.  A  salesman 
feels  stronger  if  given  to  understand  that  he  is  of  suffi- 
cient importance  to  his  employers  to  have  his  views  re- 
ceive consideration,  and  he  returns  to  his  field  of  labor 
with  an  added  sense  of  responsibility  and  a  desire  to  do 
still  better. 

No  sales  force  can  work  successfully  unless  it  works 
as  a  unit.  There  must  be  perfect  harmony  between  man- 
ager and  salesmen,  and,  likewise,  perfect  harmony  be- 
tween the  men  on  the  force.  This  should  be  every  man- 
ager's ultimate  aim — to  cement  the  relations  of  the  entire 
department  so  that  valuable  information  will  be  shared 
in  common.  One  of  the  best  methods  for  accomplishing 
this  is  to  get  the  men  together  occasionally  to  talk  over 
their  difficulties  and  any  new  sales  ideas  they  have  picked 
up.  Such  meetings  get  the  men  out  of  the  old  rut  and 
instill  them  with  new  vigor  and  enthusiasm. 

THIS  is  the  story  of  how  "the  chief"  got  the  driving 
power  of  enthusiasm  behind  his  sales  force  of  nine 
men  and  landed  new  business  from  an  old  field. 

"When  I  joined  the  city  sales  force  of  an  eastern 
typewriting  house,"  said  a  successful  salesman,  "there 
were  nine  other  men  in  the  local  territory.  Everybody 
worked  for  himself — we  talked  things  over  casually 
sometimes,  but  had  no  general  discussions. 

"Finally  some  one  diplomatically  suggested  to  'the 
chief  that  we  might  profitably  get  together  in  his  office 
once  a  week  and  go  over  our  various  problems.  He 
agreed  to  try  it  out — the  change  was  marked.  We  picked 
problems  to  pieces,  and  with  everybody  lending  a  hand 
we  landed  prospects  who  had  never  before  been  sold. 

"We  developed  along  the  easiest  lines  first,  trying  to 
get  the  most  business  for  the  least  effort.  We  worked 


THE    SALES    FORCE 


harder  on  individual  follow-up  letters.  We  kept  a  care- 
ful  record  of  the  information  we  secured  and  a  brief 
account  of  every  attempt  to  land  business.  Conver- 
sations with  new  prospects  were  reported  in  detail  and  a 
summary  made  in  our  index,  so  that  our  memories  could 
always  be  refreshed. 

*  '  Every  now  and  then  we  devoted  a  morning  to  going 
over  our  entire  list  of  local  and  out-of-town  business  and 
finding  out  how  we  stood.  Our  index  never  forgot.  We 
landed  many  a  man  simply  because  by  working  together 
we  were  able  to  collect  arguments  to  swing  him  our 
way.'' 

Aside  from  the  hints  and  helps  that  the  salesmen  can 
gain  from  such  meetings  as  these,  and  from  the  few 
rules  which  every  firm  naturally  lays  down,  the  men  on 
the  road  should  be  as  £ree  as  possible  from  regulations 
and  restrictions.  Rules  invariably  restrict  individuality 
—  a  salesman's  greatest  asset.  The  average  salesman 
knows  his  local  territory  much  better  than  his  manager; 
and  freedom  to  proceed  as  he  thinks  best  will  show  the 
greatest  returns. 


"C^IND  out  the  chief  task  of  your  talk.  Concentrate  your 
•*•  arguments  upon  it.  Only  that  will  bring  you  success. 
Scatter  the  seed  of  selling  talk  throughout  your  conversation. 
Till  it  with  diplomacy.  A  crop  of  success  is  sure  to  follow. 

—Edward  P.  Hatch 

General  Manager,  Lord  &  Taylor 


XI 


USING  CONTESTS  TO  SPUR 
ON  SALESMEN 

By  Walter  H.  Cottingham 
President,  The  Sherwin-Williams  Company 

HOW  shall  the  executive  bring  organization  into  his 
work — system  into  his  driving — in  order  to  use  his 
steam  to  unwasted  advantage?  He  has  this  problem  to 
solve :  he  must  regulate  his  own  ambitions  and  devise  a 
plan  whereby  he  can  inculcate  his  spirit  of  enthusiasm 
into  his  force.  Only  by  a  system — that  is,  by  something 
that  will  work  automatically,  precisely,  accurately — can 
he  secure  the  fullest  returns  from  his  striving. 

The  top  man  who  is  the  fountain  head  of  enthusiasm 
in  a  business,  must  have  a  natural  spring  within  himself 
to  draw  on.  Then  only  can  he  inspire  the  man  under 
him.  You  can  transform  the  ordinary  horseshoe  into  a 
magnet  by  rubbing  it  against  another  horseshoe  already 
magnetized,  and  from  the  second  piece  of  iron  a  third 
can  be  magnetized;  but  somewhere,  away  back  in  the 
beginning  of  the  process,  there  was  a  lodestone,  which 
got  its  power  direct  from  mother  earth — where  it  had 
lain  for  ages. 

So  with  enthusiasm  in  a  business.  The  salesman  in 
a  far  corner  of  the  country  has  it  pumped  into  him  by 
the  district  agent  above  him;  the  district  agent  is  in- 
fected by  the  enthusiasm  of  his  division  manager;  the 
division  manager  catches  the  spirit  from  the  sales  man- 
ager, the  general  manager,  or  the  president;  but  some- 


94 THE    SALES    FORCE 

where  up  at  the  top  must  be  the  fountain  head,  which  of 
itself  is  constantly  bubbling  up  the  spirit  that  puts 
"go"  into  the  organization. 

How  shall  an  executive  tap  this  spring  by  which  he 
may  enthuse  himself  and  infect  others?  Let  me  empha- 
size that  never,  as  long  as  he  is  working  for  the  love  of 
gain  alone,  will  he  find  the  spring.  Such  an  aim  will 
not  bring  the  highest  success — even  in  money.  He  must 
play  the  game  for  the  sake  of  the  game — there  must  be 
the  desire  and  joy  of  doing  things,  the  spirit  and  willing- 
ness to  put  in  his  utmost  strength  because  he  enjoys  his 
work — because  he  wants  to  make  a  success  of  it — because 
he  wants  to  be  a  prize  winner  in  the  world's  great  race 
for  achievement. 

MEN  who  buy  and  sell  squarely  for  more  than  the 
mere  gain  from  a  sale  or  a  year's  profits  will  find 
it  easy  to  urge  on  their  men  with  contests  and  prizes. 

Going  back  even  a  step  farther — in  order  to  reach  this 
condition,  a  man  of  business  must,  first  of  all,  have  the 
business  instinct  in  him;  he  must  like  to  buy  and  sell. 
He  must  be  a  trader.  Many  a  boy  shrinks  from  the 
brutality  and  danger  of  the  football  field ;  he  will  never 
make  a  star  player.  The  boy  who  is  eager  to  hit  the 
line  with  a  thud,  even  though  he  be  thrown  back  with  an 
ache  running  down  his  backbone,  who  takes  a  fierce  joy 
in  leaping  over  the  waiting  tackier 's  head  even  at  the 
risk  of  being  caught  in  mid-air  and  pulled  down  to  the 
frozen  ground — that  is  the  boy  who  becomes  a  point- 
maker  for  his  team. 

So  in  business — in  order  to  do  his  best  a  man's  work 
must  be  congenial  to  him.  There  are  businesses  and 
businesses — there  are  conditions  and  conditions — there 
are  kinds  and  kinds  of  work.  It  is  only  when  the  busi- 


SELLING    CONTESTS 95 

ness,  and  the  conditions,  and  the  work  just  suit  the  man 
— or  he  makes  them  suit  him — that  he  can  put  forth  his 
utmost  strength.  The  first  great  essential,  therefore,  to 
the  executive  in  his  striving,  is  to  play  the  game  and 
enjoy  it. 

The  second  requisite  is  a  definite  end.  The  marks- 
man who  had  no  bull  's-ey e  to  aim  at  never  made  the  top 
record.  The  business  striver  who  has  no  goal  in  view 
will  never  reach  success.  I  believe  in  knowing  just  what 
I  am  doing,  and  where  I  hope  to  land.  I  always  strive 
to  make  others  strive  for  something  a  little  farther 
ahead,  but  I  always  know  the  exact  point  ahead  which  I 
hope  to  attain,  and  I  have  figured  out  the  steps  I  must 
take  to  reach  that  point.  This  means  a  great  deal  of 
study  and  preparation.  For  the  sales  manager,  for  in- 
stance, it  means  that  the  condition  of  his  whole  working 
field,  the  financial  condition  of  the  country,  the  circum- 
stances in  each  salesman 's  territory,  his  ability,  the  char- 
acter of  his  customers — all  these  and  a  thousand  other 
details  must  be  taken  into  consideration  in  setting  the 
mark  for  his  men. 

With  this  data  at  hand  the  goal  to  be  reached  can 
be  set  at  a  reasonable  limit,  within  the  probability  of  at- 
tainment. If  it  is  not  put  within  bounds,  the  men  will 
think  that  this  is  only  another  dream,  another  " bluff" 
on  the  part  of  the  sales  manager  to  work  his  men  to  the 
marrow.  That  puts  the  wrong  spirit  into  the  workers. 
They  will  figure  that,  like  the  horse  trader,  he  is  putting 
the  mark  far  enough  ahead  so  that  he  can  split  the  differ- 
ence and  still  get  what  he  wants.  The  result  is  that  they 
will  do  more  than  their  share  in  splitting  the  difference. 
Put  the  goal  within  bounds — legitimate,  sane,  and  prob- 
able— and  all  concerned  will  join  in  their  efforts  to 
reach  it,  and  will  be  gratified  beyond  measure  if  they 


96 THE    SALES    FORCE 

can  only  pass  it  and  so  show  the  man  at  the  top  that  he 
underestimated  their  hustling  ability. 

As  I  have  said,  this  requires  study  and  preparation. 
It  is  a  delicate  thing  thus  to  figure  out  what  the  aim 
should  be.  There  are  human  elements  involved — the 
vagaries  of  human  nature — the  sensibilities  of  men. 

To  adjust  this  delicate  organism  brings  the  first  neces- 
sity for  organization  and  system.  The  head  of  the  fac- 
tory or  of  the  sales  force  is  like  a  general;  he  should 
know  everything  that  is  going  on.  But  details  should  be 
placed  before  him  in  proper  form,  condensed  and  classi- 
fied; otherwise  he  will  be  overwhelmed  with  a  confused 
mass  of  facts.  The  information  that  the  head  of  a  de- 
partment or  business  should  have,  can  be  conveyed  in 
wonderfully  small  limits.  He  should  have  three  kinds  of 
reports,  each  filling  its  own  function:  daily  reports,  to 
keep  the  manager  in  touch  with  current  conditions; 
weekly  reports,  to  allow  him  to  make  comparison  be- 
tween present  operations  and  those  of  previous  months 
and  years ;  monthly  reports,  to  give  a  broad  perspective, 
to  allow  of  comprehensive  analyses  and  comparisons. 

Daily  reports  from  the  sales  department  should 
record  the  number  of  orders  received,  quantity  of  each 
product  sold,  and  any  special  information  from  the  terri- 
tories traveled.  Weekly  reports  should  show  the  same 
information  for  the  six  days7  work  compared  with  same 
week  of  the  previous  year. 

Then  come  the  more  elaborate  monthly  reports,  show- 
ing fuller  details.  Monthly  sales  department  reports 
should  show  in  detail  the  sales  of  each  territory  and  line 
of  goods  compared  with  former  years,  expenses  of  each 
territory  and  cost  to  business  secured,  days  at  work  in 
the  territory,  towns  visited,  new  accounts  secured,  orders 
booked,  special  work  done,  and  any  other  information 


SELLING    CONTESTS 97 

which  may  be  required. 

With  such  a  system,  the  chief  has  as  much  vital  knowl- 
edge as  each  private — and  more  than  all  put  together, 
because  in  his  mind  all  this  knowledge  is  properly  co- 
ordinated and  related. 

TpVERYTHING  that  loyalty  can  offer  should  be 
JL_J  given  to  the  head  of  the  sales  force,  for  he  is  like  the 
general  during  a  battle  and  needs  a  strong  following. 

With  this  information  and  the  hold  that  it  gives 
him,  the  next  necessity  in  such  an  organization  is  :erfect 
obedience  to  his  commands — not  the  obedienc  which 
comes  to  the  tyrant,  but  the  obedience  which  ^  given 
by  one  set  of  intelligent  men  who  know  their  business 
to  another  man  who  knows  their  business  a  little  better, 
and  who  they  know  knows  it  a  little  better.  Even  though 
he  has  obedience,  the  chief  has  not  perfected  his  system 
of  striving  until  he  has  instilled  his  spirit  of  enthusiastic 
work  into  his  force;  not  until  the  lodestone  has  touched 
the  iron  horseshoes,  have  they  the  power  within  them. 

I  believe  there  are  simply  two  factors  in  this  matter 
of  instilling  enthusiasm  into  a  force.  In  the  first  place, 
there  is  the  personality  and  the  ability  of  the  man  at 
the  top.  I  have  said  that  he  must  be  earnest  and  sincere 
in  his  work,  a  player  of  the  game  for  the  game's  sake, 
that  he  must  have  the  source  of  the  enthusiasm  within 
him. 

The  successful  manager  is  primarily  a  manager  of 
men — not  things.  He  must  judge  them,  influence  them, 
train  and  develop  them,  and  above  all  handle  them — 
and  handling  in  the  subtle  meaning  that  implies  sincerity 
and  tact  and  force,  and  that  gains  confidence  and  co- 
operation. 

The  first  factor,  then,  is  the  personality  of  the  man- 


98 THE    SALES    FORCE 

ager.  No  rules  can  be  laid  down  for  this,  aside  from  the 
general  characteristics  of  such  a  man,  as  I  have  dis- 
cussed them. 

The  second  factor  is  the  spirit  of  competition.  A  game 
is  a  game  because  there  are  in  it  the  elements  of  winning, 
of  beating  the  other  fellow.  The  manager's  liking  for 
the  game  comes,  in  part,  from  the  fact  that  he  is  beating 
the  manager  of  another  concern,  that  he  is  pushing  his 
company  ahead  of  others. 

To  the  private  in  the  ranks  the  same  competitive  in- 
centive must  be  furnished.  He  takes  some  interest  in 
the  company's  standing,  of  course,  but  that  is  far  away 
from  him,  and  his  work  plays  only  a  small  part  in  that. 
But  the  salesman  must  meet  competition  with  the  sales- 
man in  the  territory  next  to  his;  one  department  fore- 
man competes  with  the  foreman  on  the  floor  above  him. 
That  is  where  the  competition  lies ;  between  these  forces 
the  competitive  spirit  must  be  aroused. 

Here  there  is  greater  danger  than  in  any  other  part 
of  the  system.  Bitterness,  strife,  jealousies — these  too 
often  walk  with  competition.  And  better  be  there  no 
competition  than  these  accompaniments. 

FAIR  and  even  competition,  conducted  in  a  cheerful, 
friendly  spirit  for  known  ends,  brings  out  the  best 
in  men  and  avoids  both  bitterness  and  jealousy. 

If  the  competition  be  made  fair  and  even,  if  it  be  con- 
ducted in  a  friendly  spirit  and  with  the  confessed  in- 
tention, not  of  having  one  man  beat  another,  but  of 
bringing  the  best  out  of  each  man — then  these  dangers 
can  be  avoided.  Just  as  certain  horses  are  handicapped 
so  as  to  even  the  chances  and  intensify  the  sports,  so 
in  this  competition  the  most  careful  study  must  be  given 
to  handicapping.  If  this  is  not  done  the  weak  man 


SELLING    CONTESTS 99 

say:  "I  can  not  excel  anyway,  so  why  should  I  try  to 
beat  the  star  man  ? ' '  The  star  man  will  say :  * '  I  will  be 
at  the  head  anyway,  so  what's  the  use  of  hustling?" 
Evening  the  chances  intensifies  the  sport  and  increases 
the  hustling. 

The  best  basis  for  competition  in  a  live  sales  depart- 
ment is  to  estimate  the  results  of  all  the  different  fea- 
tures of  a  salesman's  work  as  closely  as  possible  in  ad- 
vance. First,  the  country  should  be  divided  into  terri- 
tories that  can  be  conveniently  and  economically  reached 
by  railway  transportation.  A  careful  record  should  be 
kept  of  the  number  of  towns  in  each  territory,  with  the 
population.  Reports  should  show  the  number  of  towns 
worked  and  unworked,  a  list  of  present  customers  and 
prospective  customers,  and  a  statement  of  present  busi- 
ness by  individual  customers. 

With  this  information  carefully  compiled  an  estimate 
can  then  be  made  on  the  basis  of  present  business  and 
unworked  possibilities.  When  this  figure  is  arrived  at, 
it  makes  the  mark  for  the  salesman.  Then  comes  the 
mark  for  the  sales  manager — which  is  the  aggregate  of 
all  territories — and  for  the  division  manager — the  sales 
for  his  entire  district — and  for  the  general  manager — 
the  entire  sales  for  all  territories,  all  divisions  and  all 
districts. 

The  estimate  fixed,  the  aim  then  is  to  see  who  can 
secure  the  largest  percentage  of  gain.  If  the  estimate 
is  arrived  at  with  good  judgment,  the  competition  will 
be  fair  and  the  man  with  a  limited  field  will  have  the 
same  chance  as  the  man  with  an  unlimited  one. 

If  the  award  is  to  be  perfectly  just,  the  other  consider- 
ations involved  in  selling,  besides  the  mere  gross  sales, 
should  be  given  places  in  making  up  percentages.  The 
cost  of  securing  business  is  the  most  important  of  these 


100 THE     SALES    FORCE 

minor  factors;  the  man  securing  the  lowest  percentage 
of  expense  to  sales  should  get  good  credit.  Gain  over 
previous  years'  business,  towns  visited,  orders  secured, 
new  agents  appointed,  complaints,  cancelled  orders  and 
bad  accounts — these  are  some  of  the  other  factors  to  be 
considered. 

In  practice  the  best  method  is  to  assign  a  certain  per- 
centage to  each  of  these  factors ;  gross  sales,  for  instance, 
might  be  given  sixty  per  cent — that  is,  this  one  thing 
would  count  for  a  little  over  half ;  percentage  of  expense 
to  sales  might  count  for  ten  per  cent.  Then  give  each 
man  his  per  cent  on  each  of  these  factors — near  or  far 
from  this  assigned  figure  according  to  his  results.  The 
addition  of  all  his  percentages  gives  the  final  standing 
of  each  man.  With  this  competition  there  should  be  a 
reward.  However  a  man  may  like  a  game,  he  will  work 
just  a  little  harder  if  he  knows  he  will  be  paid  for  the 
extra  effort.  The  giving  of  a  substantial  reward  also 
puts  the  affair  on  a  business  footing.  The  men  can  not 
ask  then,  ' '  What  are  we  going  to  get  out  of  this  ? ' '  They 
will  see  that  their  house  is  willing  to  divide  with  them 
the  rewards  of  increased  business. 

HYPOCRISY  gives  a  shifty,  false  foundation  for  a 
sales  contest  which  will  fall  away  like  sand;  ground 
your  game  of  selling  on  good,  clean  conditions. 

As  a  last  thought,  I  wish  to  emphasize  that  however 
good  the  system,  however  strong  the  incentive,  real  en- 
thusiasm can  not  be  built  on  hypocrisy.  Unless  the 
goods  which  the  salesman  has  to  sell,  which  the  factory 
worker  has  to  make,  are  of  high  quality,  I  can  not  see 
how  the  spirit  that  I  have  been  speaking  of  can  be 
aroused. 

There  are  good  reasons  for  this. 


SELLING    CONTESTS 101 

I  have  said  that  in  order  to  work  up  eii'ihtrsiasm  for 
striving  in  others,  a  man  must  have  'errtfrusiasiE  hipisejf., 
He  can  not  have  such  a  spirit  unless  he  has  faith  in  his 
goods,  unless  he  believes  that  they  are  the  best,  or  that 
they  have  the  quality  he  is  talking. 

Hypocrisy  is  a  rotten  foundation  upon  which  to  build 
enthusiasm;  it  is  a  poor  base  for  any  business.  The 
salesman  who  must  constantly  talk  what  he  does  not 
believe,  who  is  always  uttering  specious  arguments, 
whose  chief  selling  characteristic  must  be  mendacity — 
such  a  salesman,  instead  of  developing,  must  surely  de- 
generate, not  only  in  his  business  ability,  but  in  his 
transactions  with  his  own  house.  You  can  not  expect  a 
man  whom  you  compel  to  be  insincere  in  dealing  with 
others,  to  be  sincere  in  his  dealings  with  you. 

The  salesman  does  not  regard  a  position  with  a  house 
carrying  poor  goods  as  permanent.  And  permanency  is 
the  chief  necessity  in  building  up  an  efficiency  instilling 
enthusiasm. 

Most  important  of  all,  selling  good  goods,  goods  in 
which  you  have  faith,  goods  that  you  think  are  going  to 
make  the  world  better — that  gives  the  whole  game  in- 
terest and  satisfaction.  Here  is  the  thought  in  a  nut- 
shell— merit  begets  confidence,  confidence  begets  enthu- 
siasm, and  enthusiasm  conquers  the  world. 


HPHERE  is  no  such  thing  as  hard  luck  in  salesmanship. 
*•  "Hard  luck"  is  the  term  we  sometimes  use  in  referring  to 
difficulties  or  hindrances — the  circumstances  that  impede  our 
progress.  Yet  this  very  resistance  is  indispensable  to  our 
progress.  The  bird  with  its  wings  and  the  steamer  with  its 
screw  apply  themselves  to  the  hindrances  of  their  progress  and 
overcome  them.  If  their  motion  were  not  obstructed  progress 
would  be  impossible. 

— Harlow  E.  Bundy 

President,  International  Time  Recorder  Company 


;  .  XII 

WORKING  WITH  THE 
HOUSE 

By  William  F.  Hypes 
Sales  Manager,  Marshall  Field  and  Company 

\  X  THAT  one  thing  above  all  others  do  you  try  to 
VV  impress  upon  your  men  on  the  road?"  a  sales 
manager  asked  me. 

"I  try  to  make  them  understand,"  I  answered,  "that 
ability  to  sell  is  not  the  only  quality  needed  in  a  sales- 
man. Show  them  that  simple  ability  to  land  orders  will 
not  qualify  them  for  our  sales  force  unless  at  the  same 
time  they  follow  absolutely  the  instructions  of  the  house 
and  attend  promptly  to  the  details  of  their  work." 

Every  day  that  I  sit  at  my  desk  and  watch  reports 
come  in  from  the  men  in  the  field,  I  wish  I  had  a  more 
forcible  way  of  saying  or  demonstrating  the  truth  of 
that  statement,  for  I  know  that  some  of  those  men 
must  learn  it  sooner  or  later  through  sad  experience. 
Every  time  I  see  new  men  start  out  with  their  samples, 
I  wish  again,  for  I  know  that  some  of  them  are  going  to 
fail  because  they  do  not  realize  the  importance  of  the 
warning. 

Time  after  time  I  have  seen  the  brilliant  beginner 
fall  down  for  no  other  reason  than  that  he  let  his  own 
magnetic  ability  to  take  orders  blind  him  to  the  necessity 
of  watching  the  shag  ends  of  his  business.  And  again 
and  again  I  have  seen  the  mediocre  man  develop  into 
a  star  because  he  recognized  instructions  from  the  house 


WORKIJNG    WITH    THE    HOUSE 103 

as  commands — demanding  immediate  execution — and 
was  just  as  particular  about  his  daily  details  as  about 
the  size  of  his  orders. 

Of  this  routine  work  one  phase  overshadows  in  im- 
portance all  the  rest.  No  one  omission  on  the  salesman's 
part  causes  more  trouble  for  all  concerned  than  neglect 
in  checking  his  samples  and  price  lists  with  the  house 
bulletins  on  stock  shortages  and  price  changes.  Done 
promptly  upon  receipt  of  the  house  notices,  this  work 
is  a  comparatively  simple  matter;  allowed  to  run  until 
several  bulletins  have  accumulated,  it  is  one  of  the  sales- 
man's chief  bugbears.  Failure  to  check  up  is  the  cer^ 
tain  forerunner  of  orders  that  cannot  be  delivered  and 
the  making  of  price  quotations  which  will  get  him  into 
serious  trouble. 

WHEN  the  salesman  is  on  his  route,  representing  his 
house  from  president  to  stock  boy,  there  is  need  of 
cooperation  between  him  and  the  home  office. 

Let  me  illustrate.  A  salesman  starts  out  on  the  road 
with  his  sample  cases,  catalog  and  special  price  lists. 
In  order  that  he  may  truly  represent  his  firm,  there 
must  be  an  intimate  spirit  of  cooperation  between  him 
and  the  house.  The  house  wants  to  know  of  his  move- 
ments and  his  business  transactions;  and  he  must,  of 
course,  keep  in  the  closest  possible  touch  with  the  home 
office. 

The  first  of  these  requirements  is  fulfilled  through 
the  orders  that  he  sends  in  and  his  daily,  weekly  or 
special  reports  of  sales,  routes,  expenses  and  conditions 
of  trade  in  certain  localities  or  with  certain  dealers. 
Every  one  of  these  reports  receives  careful  attention  in 
the  house.  The  orders  are  booked  for  delivery,  special 
contingencies  in  trade  are  met,  as  judgment  dictates, 


104 THE    SALES    FORCE 

and  the  personal  record  of  the  salesman's  movements 
is  watched  in  the  sales  manager's  office. 

For  the  salesman's  benefit,  the  house,  in  turn,  sends 
out  each  day  or  week  a  bulletin  of  information  and  in- 
structions. There  is  a  general  statement  of  trade  con- 
ditions gathered  from  hundreds  of  reports  and  reflect- 
ing the  perspective  standpoint  of  the  house.  There  is 
advance  information  on  styles  and  fashions  and  new 
talking  points  that  have  been  developed  regarding  cer- 
tain goods,  either  in  the  house  or  by  other  men  on  the 
road.  But  specifically,  and  most  important  of  all,  these 
bulletins  list  those  goods  which  for  any  reason  have  been 
exhausted  or  called  off  sale,  and  other  goods  on  which 
it  has  been  found  necessary  or  advisable  to  change  the 
price  quotations. 

If  the  salesman  acts  upon  this  information  with  an 
attentiveness  corresponding  to  that  which  the  house 
gives  to  his  reports,  what  will  he  do?  He  will  imme- 
diately correct  his  price  book,  special  price  lists  and 
catalogs,  and  at  the  earliest  possible  opportunity  will 
check  up  his  samples,  discarding  or  marking  out  those 
withdrawn  from  sale. 

This,  admittedly,  is  detail  work,  distasteful  to  many 
an  easy  going  salesman,  who  depends  upon  the  charm 
of  a  strong  personality  to  entice  large  orders.  But  it  is 
an  essential — an  absolute  essential — to  the  man  who 
wants  to  secure  the  confidence  of  his  house  and  his  cus- 
tomers and  score  a  permanent  success  in  his  work. 

If  he  does  it  promptly  each  time  he  receives  a  weekly 
or  special  notice  of  stock  and  price  changes,  he  is 
always  sure  of  the  accuracy  of  his  quotations,  he  knows 
that  every  order  he  takes  is  a  bona  fide  order  and  can 
l)e  filled  at  the  house. 

But  how  about  the  other,  the  take-it-easy  salesman? 


WORKING    WITH    THE    HOUSE 


105 


He  glances  over  his  house  notices  and  tosses  them  into 
his  sample  case  for  future  attention.  The  next  morning 
— or  a  week  later — he  drops  in  on  a  regular  customer. 
He  lands  a  big  order,  and  books  it,  with  never  a  thought 
as  to  whether  it  can  be  delivered.  His  own  samples  and 
price  lists  indicate  no  "outs,"  and  while  he  is  in  con- 
versation with  his  customer  he  has  neither  the  time 
nor  the  inclination  to  refer  to  his  bulletins.  The  result 
is  that  several  items  go  on  the  order  that  have  been 
called  off  sale — and  three  kinds  of  trouble  are  imme- 
diately started. 

The  first  man  affected  is  the  manager  of  the  depart- 
ment receiving  the  order.  Here  is  a  request  for  unavail- 
able goods,  and  he  knows  that  every  man  on  the  force 


MONTHS 

TRAVELING 

GROSS  SALES 

NO.OF 

3 

DALUS 

as 

; 

WAR. 
JUNE 

v'i-f  oo 

A.  i  oo  co 

t 

' 

I 

" 

- 

- 

- 

\ 

i 

JULY 

•YOO   00 

•    •&.'([  J4  oe 

UL 

t 

; 

SEPT. 

•YOO  00 

3.  &  oe>  co 

,-r 

X 

-f 

NOV. 

_+^* 

vJ.v^-OO  00 

_^_ 

-3- 

TRAVELIf 

eooc 

(G  EXPENSE 

VEA 

Avr. 

«LV 
AGE 

10 
0 

; 

I 

^ 

- 

- 

s 

y 

\ 

ANOEXP. 


FORM  VII:  The  form  here  shown  is  given  to  the  salesman  to  fill  out  and 

carry  in  his  order  book.     It  forces  him  to  compare  traveling  expenses  with 

gross  sales.   On  the  chart  we  can  plot  each  months  business  from  the  table, 

and  at  the  end  of  the  year  draw  in  his  average  for  each  item 

has  been  informed.  He  has  the  salesman's  receipt  show- 
ing the  date  the  information  reached  him.  He  gives  free 
expression  to  his  opinion  of  such  work  and  reports  the 
salesman's  oversight  to  the  sales  manager. 


106 THE    SALES    FORCE 

But  that  is  not  all.  He  must  write  the  customer,  ex- 
plaining as  best  he  can  that  the  goods  were  out  of  stock 
when  his  order  was  received.  Possibly  he  tells  him  when 
the  goods  are  expected  in  stock  again  and  suggests  a 
substitute  in  the  meantime.  At  best  it  is  a  diplomatic 
operation. 

SALESMEN  start  three  varieties  of  serious  trouble 
when  they  sell  goods  not  in  stock— for  themselves,  for 
their  superiors  and  for  their  customers. 

Then  comes  the  second  bit  of  trouble — the  customer 
receives  the  letter  of  explanation  and  his  order,  short 
the  much  needed  goods.  Righteous  disappointment  puts 
down  a  black  mark  in  his  mind  against  both  the  salesman 
and  the  house,  and  he  is  removed  one  degree  from  be- 
coming a  permanent  customer. 

Possibly  he  complains  at  once  direct  to  the  house.  At 
least  he  has  opportunity  to  express  himself  the  next 
time  his  order  is  solicited.  How  many  salesmen  have  had 
the  unpleasant  experience  of  walking  in  on  a  supposedly 
permanent  customer  only  to  find  that  the  order  has  gone 
into  the  book  of  a  persistent  rival?  Yet  it  happens 
every  day  for  no  other  reason  than  that  a  promised  ship- 
ment failed  to  come.  "Why  should  I  buy  of  you," 
says  the  dealer,  and  justly,  "and  get  uncertain  deliver- 
ies, when  I  can  buy  of  Brown  and  Company  and  be  sure 
of  receiving  my  goods  ?" 

The  third  bit  of  trouble  is  the  concentration  of  the 
two  previous  complaints — it  is  properly  directed  at  the 
salesman  himself.  He  comes  in  from  the  road  and  finds 
on  his  sales  manager's  desk  not  one,  but  a  half  dozen 
complaints  due  to  these  omissions — orders  that  could  not 
be  filled,  prices  quoted  that  could  not  be  confirmed,  speci- 
fic evidence  that  the  details  of  his  road  work  had  been 


WORKING    WITH    THE    HOUSE 107 

neglected.  His  sensational  initial  orders  and  his  record 
breaking  days  are  forgotten  by  the  sales  manager,  who 
is  seeking  not  only  to  make  sales,  but  to  inspire  the  con- 
fidence in  dealers,  to  build  up  a  permanent  trade. 

"But  I  was  too  busy,'*  explains  the  salesman.  "I 
have  been  selling  goods  day  and  night.  Would  you 
expect  me  to  waste  an  hour  of  valuable  time  on  this 
work  when  I  could  be  selling  three  or  four  hundred  dol- 
lars '  worth  of  goods  ? ' ' 

But  has  he  been  selling  goods,  in  the  strictest  sense? 
Is  the  sale  worth  while  if  it  necessitates  negligence  that 
breeds  complaints  and  dissatisfaction?  I  believe  any 
sales  manager  dealing  with  the  general  trade  would 
rather  see  a  somewhat  smaller  order  that  can  be  filled 
with  absolute  satisfaction  than  a  record  breaker  which 
is  going  to  bring  another  load  to  the  complaint  depart- 
ment and  make  demands  upon  the  diplomacy  of  every 
man  who  handles  it. 

"TJ  EMEMBER  that  there  is  more  to  a  sale  than  the 
-TV  figures,  more  than  today's  profits,  for  an  order  is  not 
rightly  handled  unless  it  builds  for  future  business. 

Slack  attention  to  details  has  left  many  thousand 
salesmen  stranded.  Every  sales  manager  knows  them. 
He  has  met  them  only  too  often  during  his  own  days 
on  the  road — wonderful  order-getters,  some  of  them, 
but  all  with  that  fatal  fondness  for  the  uptilted  chair, 
the  comfort  radiating  stove,  the  companionship  of  a  man 
with  the  proverbial  story,  when  an  hour  in  the  sample 
room  with  the  week's  bulletin  and  a  blue  pencil  would 
save  a  hundred  errors. 

Some  of  what  I  have  said  here  may  seem  strong,  but 
if  there  was  any  way  of  making  salesmen  realize  the 
importance  of  this  warning  I  should  make  my  statements 


108 THE    SALES    FORCE 

stronger  still.  If  men  on  the  road  would  only  remember 
that  there  is  more  to  a  sale  than  the  mere  sale  itself, 
that  an  order  rightly  handled  should  always  be  the  en- 
trance to  more  business,  that  a  customer  is  not  a  real 
customer  until  absolute  confidence  makes  the  salesman 
and  the  house  in  his  eyes  his  business  partners,  then 
they  might  realize  that  one  complaint  may  lose  a  firm's 
most  valued  customer,  that  one  detail  omitted  may  cost 
business  that  can  never  be  regained,  and  that  sooner  or 
later  their  negligence  will  lose  them  their  positions. 


"\\7"HEN  you  know  only  as  much  as  your  rivals,  you  must, 
*  *     other  things  being  equal*  keep  their  sales  level.      It  is 
through  those  things  which  have  been  discovered  by  you  alone 
that  you  get  the  upper  grip  in  selling. 

— Arthur  E.  McFarlane 


XIII 

POINTS  TO  WATCH  IN  THE 
EXPENSE  ACCOUNT 

By  W.  A.  Waterbury 
Sales  Manager,  A.  B.  Dick  Company 

EXPENSE  accounts  are  unknown  quantities— nn- 
fathomed  and  unfathomable.  From  the  moment 
the  traveling  man  starts  out  you  have  the  feeling  that 
money  is  being  spent  by  someone  far  away;  you  cannot 
know  what  it  is  being  spent  for;  you  do  not  know 
whether  the  expenditures  are  in  your  judgment  wise  ones 
and  in  the  interest  of  your  business;  you  do  not  know 
whether  the  same  conservatism  is  being  used  that  you 
would  use  under  parallel  conditions.  In  a  measure  you 
do  not  control  your  own  finances — a  condition  that  must 
always  be  unsatisfactory  to  any  business  man.  I  know 
there  are  as  honest  men  among  traveling  salesmen  as  in 
any  other  walk  of  life,  but  there  always  will  be  an  in- 
herent desire  among  business  men  to  control  their  own 
finances  and  know  for  what  their  money  is  being  ex- 
pended. 

An  expense  account  is  susceptible  to  the  greatest  elas- 
ticity. No  two  business  men  or  no  two  traveling  sales- 
men may  agree  on  what  constitutes  legitimate  expenses. 
Every  business  man  recognizes  the  necessity  of  spending 
money  to  get  business,  but  there  is  a  point  where  legiti- 
mate expenses  end  and  illegitimate  expenses  begin.  On 
this  point  there  probably  always  will  be  honest  differ- 
ences of  opinion. 


110 THE     SALES    FORCE 

Among  the  simplest  of  legitimate  expenses  are  trans- 
portation, living  expenses,  laundry,  and  entertainment. 
I  make  no  particular  reference  to  such  miscellaneous 
items  as  postage,  excess  baggage,  telephone  and  telegraph, 
expressage,  and  other  necessities,  as  there  is  seldom  any 
difference  of  opinion  about  them. 

Traveling  expenses  are  divided  into  car  fare,  sleeper, 
excess  baggage,  local  street  car  fare,  bus,  cab,  drayage, 
livery,  porter 's  tips,  and  check  room.  These  will  usually 
be  found  to  cover  the  legitimate  items  of  traveling  ex- 
pense. But  how  are  they  to  be  audited?  Does  car  fare 
mean  the  cost  of  a  railroad  ticket  from  one  point  to  an- 
other, or  does  it  mean  the  personal  mileage  of  the 
traveler?  Does  it  mean  riding  on  a  limited,  extra-fare 
train,  or  an  ordinary  passenger  train  ? 

"D  AILRO&D  accommodations  are  responsible  for  many 
S\>  expense  account  arguments — is  it  right  to  sit  in  the 
smoker  and  charge  up  two  dollars  for  a  lower? 

Here  is  where  there  may  be  a  difference  of  opinion. 
Will  the  traveling  man  whose  house  pays  his  expenses 
charge  up  limited  rates  and  ride  on  the  regular  passen- 
ger train  on  his  own  mileage  or  on  a  scalper's  ticket  or 
a  pass  ?  How  is  the  house  to  find  out,  and  who  is  right — 
the  house  which  maintains  that  the  mileage  rate,  or  the 
best  actual  price  at  which  the  transportation  can  be 
secured,  is  the  correct  charge,  or  the  traveling  man,  who 
argues  that  the  house  should  stand  the  full  passenger 
rate  and  that  if  he  can  save  anything,  the  amount  saved 
belongs  to  him?  This  question  is  argued  every  day  in 
the  year. 

How  often  does  a  traveling  man  charge  up  a  sleeper 
fare  when  going  a  moderate  distance  and  travel  in  the 
day  time  or  sit  up  part  of  the  night,  justifying  his  con- 


_^ EXPENSE    ACCOUNT    CONTROL  111 

science  with  the  thought  that  if  he  is  willing  to  incon- 
venience himself  or  deprive  himself  of  comforts,  the 
house  has  no  cause  for  complaint?  I  maintain  that  the 
employer  has  just  cause  for  complaint.  If  the  house  is 
willing  to  pay  for  the  comfort  of  the  salesman,  the  sales- 
man has  no  moral  right  to  exhaust  his  energies  and  unfit 
himself  for  business  the  following  day  by  depriving 
himself  of  proper  rest  which  his  company  is  willing  to 
pay  for  and  expects  him  to  take.  This  point  should  be 
firmly  impressed  on  every  representative  of  the  house. 
Violations  of  this  rule  should  be  dealt  with  promptly 
and  summarily  in  order  to  convince  the  selling  force  that 
the  house  is  entitled  to  all  the  benefits  that  may  come  of 
better  accommodation  for  its  representatives. 

Excess  baggage  is  an  annoying  account  to  many  con- 
cerns. A  good  cigar  has  tempted  many  a  baggage  man 
to  overlook  excess  baggage  or  to  pass  it  under  its  limits, 
but  the  excess  seldom  fails  to  find  its  way  to  the  expense 
account.  Who  gets  the  benefit  of  this  saving? 

How  many  nickels  and  dimes  creep  into  the  local  trans- 
portation account  that  do  not  belong  there  ?  This  is  one 
of  the  easiest  accounts  to  "pad"  and  one  of  the  most 
difficult  to  check  with  any  degree  of  accuracy.  One  can, 
with  fair  accuracy,  audit  an  account  accompanied  with 
vouchers,  but  local  street  car  fares  carry  with  them  no 
receipts. 

Many  enterprising  hotels  which  want  patronage,  op- 
erate buses,  but  what  business  ever  saw  "free  bus"  on  a 
salesman's  expense  account?  A  hotel  may  be  but  a  block 
or  two  from  the  station,  and  a  street  car  line  may  carry 
a  salesman  in  half  the  time,  but  the  bus  or  cab  fare  ap- 
pears in  the  expense  account  with  alarming  regularity. 

Laundry  in  proper  amounts  is  a  legitimate  expense. 
Laundry  items  may  always  be  accompanied  by  the  bills 


112 THE    SALES    FORCE 

as  vouchers  or  included  in  the  hotel  statement,  and  are 
usually  easily  watched.  Money  spent  on  clean  linen  is  a 
good  investment  to  any  business  house.  Furthermore, 
the  duties  of  a  traveling  man  are  such  that  laundry  bills 
are  necessarily  larger  than  he  would  be  obliged  to  pay  if 
he  were  at  home. 

Living  expenses  and  hotel  bills  are  other  accounts 
beset  with  evils  and  abuses.  A  business  house  is  charged 
with  a  hotel  bill  of  perhaps  four  dollars  a  day.  Its 
salesman  is  stopping  at  an  European  plan  hotel,  paying 
one  dollar  for  his  room,  eating  a  la  carte,  and  clearing 
on  his  expenses  easily  two  dollars  a  day.  It  is  generally 
useless  to  ask  a  hotel  where  a  representative  is  supposed 
to  have  been  staying  for  an  itemized  duplicate  bill.  If 
the  communication  is  acknowledged,  which  is  doubtful, 
it  is  usually  answered  by  a  curt  note,  stating  that  it  is 
against  the  principles  of  the  hotel  to  supply  information 
of  that  nature.  The  traveling  man's  patronage  is  de- 
sirable and  profitable ;  information  that  might  betray  or 
embarrass  a  guest  would  reach  other  salesmen  and  the 
hotel  would  lose  business  as  a  result. 

The  per  diem  allowance  for  traveling  men's  expenses 
is  also  an  unsatisfactory  arrangement.  It  is  usually  ac- 
cepted by  a  traveler  as  a  challenge  to  manipulate  the  al- 
lowance to  his  own  pecuniary  advantage.  The  re- 
ceipted hotel  bill  is  not  always  to  be  relied  upon.  Ac- 
commodating clerks  recognize  the  value  of  traveling 
men's  patronage,  when  approached  for  receipted  bills 
that  differ  in  amount  from  the  sum  actually  paid.  The 
business  man  who  does  not  know  these  practices  are  com- 
mon may  be  losing  a  large  amount  of  money  annually. 
If  he  does  know  it  he  cannot  help  feeling  doubtful  as  to 
whether  his  own  money  may  not  be  leaking  through  these 
and  similar  channels. 


EXPENSE    ACCOUNT    CONTROL 113 

It  is  true  the  loss  on  one  man  may  be  trifling,  but 
with  a  house  that  employs  twenty  to  a  hundred  or  more 
salesmen  who  are  out  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  the 
aggregate  loss  often  represents  the  difference  between  a 
satisfactory  dividend  and  insolvency. 

I  am  not  attacking  the  honest  traveling  man.  His 
character  is  unassailable  and  he  needs  no  defense.  I 
maintain,  however,  that  these  practices  are  often  in- 
dulged in  and  with  all  the  scrutiny  possible  cannot  be 
altogether  eliminated. 

T)ROTECTION  against  possible  expense  errors  finds 
A  no  objections  from  the  average  traveling  man,  removes 
temptation,  and  gives  net  profits  a  fair  chance. 

But  how  are  these  evils  to  be  corrected? 

Different  concerns  have  different  methods,  of  which 
perhaps  no  two  are  alike.  I  have  found  it  economical  to 
make  hotel  arrangements  from  headquarters.  I  select 
the  hotel  I  want  my  travelers  to  patronize.  I  have  the 
rate  understood  in  advance,  and  insist  that  my  com- 
pany's representatives  go  there  unless  they  prefer  to  go 
elsewhere  at  their  own  expense.  Hotels  are  almost 
always  glad  to  depend  upon  such  patronage,  and  I  have 
usually  found  them  disposed  to  give  excellent  accommo- 
dations and  terms.  They  are  frequently  willing  to  give 
a  two  dollar  or  two  dollar  and  a  half  rate  when  a  three 
or  four  dollar  rate  would  be  asked  over  the  desk.  I 
have  found  a  material  saving  by  following  this  course.  I 
know  what  my  business  can  afford  to  pay,  and  there  is 
slight  opportunity  for  the  hotel  bill  to  be  padded  when 
following  this  plan. 

But  what  shall  be  said  of  the  entertainment  account? 
It  is  an  account  that  any  business  house  would  gladly 
see  wiped  off  the  list.  Some  concerns  are  forced  to 


114 THE    SALES    FORCE 

tolerate  it,  but  they  do  so  under  mental  protest  They 
recognize  it  as  an  indispensable  evil,  and  groan  under  its 
weight  in  helplessness.  Personally  I  have  long  since 
stricken  it  from  the  list  of  legitimate  expenses.  While 
it  may  be  necessary  in  isolated  cases,  I  have  more  fre- 
quently found  it  a  source  of  evil,  an  element  of  danger 
and  a  temptation  to  an  otherwise  honest  man.  It  is 
likely  to  lead  to  extravagance  far  in  excess  of  any  benefits 
that  may  come  from  its  universal  application.  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  understood  by  this  that  I  will  not  allow  a 
proper  expenditure  that  will  result  in  getting  business. 
I  impress  upon  my  traveling  men,  however,  that  I  am 
opposed  to  entertainment  expenses  on  general  principles. 
I  judge  others  somewhat  by  myself,  and  know  how  I  feel 
when  a  salesman  solicits  my  favors  and  uses  as  a  bait 
a  cheap  cigar,  a  worse  dinner  or  a  ticket  to  the  ' '  show. ' ' 
Some  men  will  accept  these  courtesies,  but  it  is  a  pretty 
safe  rule  to  lay  down  that  the  man  who  offers  them  is 
held  in  less  esteem.  I  have  tried  both  ways.  I  cannot 
point  to  any  business  lost  by  failure  to  buy  it,  while  my 
house  is  many  dollars  richer  by  prohibiting  the  practice. 

ASK  your  salesmen  always  to  explain  entertainment 
litems  with  the  results  secured  and  put  them  on  their 
mette  to  make  every  dollar  count  for  sales. 

"While  the  entertainment  expense  may  not  be  alto- 
gether eliminated,  I  have  found  it  a  good  plan  to  provide 
for  its  explanation  on  the  traveler's  expense  report.  If 
they  must  "buy"  business,  I  want  to  know  how  much 
they  are  paying  for  it,  consequently  the  expenses  must 
show  in  detail  in  the  expense  report,  fully  itemized  as  to 
meals,  drinks,  cigars,  theater  tickets,  livery,  and  other 
details,  together  with  the  name  of  the  person  entertained, 
whether  or  not  an  order  was  obtained. 


EXPENSE  ACCOUNT  CONTROL      115 

These  details  are  valuable  in  two  ways.  In  the  first 
place  they  give  accurate  information  on  the  amount  of 
money  which  is  being  spent  and  the  purposes;  and, 
second,  they  put  the  salesman  on  his  mettle  to  make 
such  expenditures — which  he  knows  are  regarded  with 
more  or  less  disfavor  at  headquarters — count.  No  sales- 
man likes  to  see  items  for  drinks,  cigars,  dinners,  and 
the  theater  going  in  on  his  expense  account  unless  they 
are  accompanied  by  liberal  and  profitable  orders.  He 
studies  to  keep  them  down  to  a  minimum,  with  the  result 
that  the  house  is  richer  annually  by  an  amount  that 
cannot  be  understood  until  the  practice  referred  to  has 
been  put  into  actual  operation. 

As  indicating  the  extent  to  which  this  feeling  toward 
the  traveling  man's  entertainment  account  is  shared  by 
business  men,  I  discussed  the  subject  with  the  principals 
of  twenty  extensive  employers  of  this  class  of  work. 
Summarizing  their  positions,  I  found  that  eighteen  of 
them  were  unanimous  in  wishing  that  the  entertainment 
feature  could  be  eliminated  altogether 


HHHE  sales  manager's  policies  established,  his  attitude  to- 
ward  customers  determined,  he  must  shine  upon  them  by 
the  reflected  light  of  his  salesmen.  Therefore  he  must  impress 
his  policies  and  his  personality  and  his  methods  upon  his 
salesmen  so  that  they  will  rightly  represent  him  and  use  uni- 
form methods  in  handling  customers. 

— F.  J.  Seldea 

Western  Manager.  The  Rumford  Company 


XIV 

MAKING  A  SALES  CONVENTION 

PAY 


By  W.  C.  Holman 

Former  Director  and  Advertising  Manager, 
National  Cash  Register  Company 


IN  SUGGESTING  how  to  plan  and  prepare  for  a  sales 
convention,  I  would  lay  stress  on  the  fact  that  the 
presiding  officer  holds  the  key  to  every  situation.  The 
success  or  failure  of  the  convention  depends  entirely  on 
his  ability  to  direct,  vitalize  and  control  the  convention 
and  its  discussions. 

Suppose  you  have  chosen  a  good  presiding  officer. 
When  the  convention  first  assembles,  he  won't  make  a 
few  feeble  remarks  and  fade  away  into  the  background. 
He  will  grip  that  convention  with  the  force  of  a  live 
personality.  He  will  make  a  key-note  speech  that  will 
jar  the  most  indifferent  salesmen  loose  from  their  seats 
on  the  back  benches — electrify  the  convention — give  it  a 
tone  that  will  last  through  its  sessions. 

Have  him  thrill  each  man  present  with  the  thought  of 
the  importance  of  the  meeting— the  fact  that  every  mo- 
ment of  time  is  precious — that  ideas  will  be  brought  out 
worth  hundreds  of  dollars — that  star  men  will  tell  the 
actual  methods  by  which  they  are  making  big  incomes — 
that  no  one  present  can  any  more  afford  to  be  careless, 
listless,  or  inattentive  than  could  a  baseball  player  en- 
gaged in  a  championship  game.  Have  him  show  the 
necessity  of  good  feeling  in  discussions,  harmony  in 
decisions — the  value  of  good  argument,  and  the  idiocy 


HANDLING    A     CONVENTION 117 

of  mere  pugnacity  or  belligerency.  Let  him  enumerate, 
in  advance,  the  faults  that  the  company  desires  speakers 
to  avoid,  and  so  shower  these  faults  with  ridicule  that 
no  one  will  dare  commit  them. 

Placard  your  hall  with  printed  sayings  that  will  con- 
stantly remind  all  present  of  the  good  characteristics 
you  wish  the  convention  to  show.  Have  some  one  hunt- 
up  terse,  epigrammatic  sayings  to  bring  out  strongly 
the  points  you  wish  to  make,  such  as,  ' '  No  man  knows  it 
all,"  "Only  fools  and  dead  men  never  change  their 
minds,"  "When  we  stop  learning  we  stop  growing," 
" Don't  speak  unless  you  have  something  to  say,  and 
when  you  have  said  it,  sit  down."  "A  cat  can  be  in- 
different ;  a  fool  can  laugh  at  an  assembly  of  wise  men ; 
but  only  a  man  with  a  brain  can  be  attentive,  quiet, 
thoughtful."  You  can  unearth  dozens  of  such  sayings 
to  hang  on  the  walls.  Every  one  will  have  an  effect. 

LATE  arrivals  kill  the  spirit  of  the  convention  and  dis- 
turb speakers — have  the  presiding  officer  put  prompt- 
ness to  a  vote  and  call  the  roll  daily. 

Take  a  firm  stand  at  the  very  outset  against  the  prev- 
alent habit  of  coming  to  sessions  late.  Have  your  pre- 
siding officer  emphasize  the  importance  of  every  moment 
of  the  convention.  Tell  the  members  that  "coming-in- 
late"  kills  conventions,  starts  every  session  under  a 
handicap,  upsets  speakers,  creates  confusion  and  is  ab- 
solutely without  excuse  in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a 
hundred — that  it  is  just  a  fool  slip-shod  human  habit. 
Have  him  talk  in  such  a  way  that  men  who  come  in  late 
will  sneak  in — feel  ashamed  of  themselves.  Tactfully 
get  the  men  to  express  their  own  opinions,  to  vote,  at  the 
very  start,  as  to  whether  they  want  promptness  in  as- 
sembling. They  will  all  vote  "yes,"  however  some  of 


118  THE    SALES    FORCE 


I— THE  BUSINESS— ITS  OUTLOOK 
a    Talk  by  the  general  manager  or  president  about 

the  firm,  its  history  and  present  prospects, 
b    Talk  by  presiding  officer  on  the  purpose,  program 

and  value  of  the  convention. 

H— TRIP  THROUGH  THE  PLANT 
a     Seeing  how  the  product  is  made  and  handled.   Ex- 
pert guides  to  explain  processes  to  the  new  men. 
b     Meeting  the  department  heads.     Have  questions 
and  answers  all  prepared. 

Ill— ANALYSIS  OF  THE  PRODUCT 
a    Analyzing  the  product  and  bringing  out  its  superior 

qualities, 
b    Answering  kicks  from  salesmen. 

IV— HOW  THE  PRODUCT  IS  SOLD 
a    Showing  its  applications,  value,  selling  qualities, 

and  so  on. 
b    The  old  fields  and  opportunities. 

Have  star  salesmen  talk  on  these  topics, 
c     The  new  fields  and  opportunities. 

Have  company  officers  talk  on  these  topics, 
d    Experience  meeting;  questions  to  be  answered  by 

company  experts,  with  discussion  by  members. 

V— HANDLING  THE  APPROACH 

a     Getting  to  the  man  with  the  power  to  sign  the  order. 

b     What  is  necessary  to  know  about  a  possible  cus- 
tomer before  introducing  yourself. 

c     How  to  size  up  the  possible  customer's  wants. 

d    Experiences  in  making  approaches. 

Sales  manager,  officers  and  field  men  who  are  old 
in  the  business. 
Answers  to  questions. 

VI— DEMONSTRATION  OF  GOODS 
a    How  to  prepare  a  demonstration. 


FIGURE    VI:       The  program  for  a  sales  convention  here  shown  plans  to 
give  the  new  men  a  detailed  knowledge  of  the  product  and  provide  at  the 


HANDLING    A     CONVENTION 


b  Arranging  room  and  seating  possible  customer;  or, 
if  in  his  store,  how  best  to  show  your  goods. 

c  Demonstrations  and  sales  talks  by  field  men ;  crit- 
icism by  members  and  leaders  of  the  convention. 

Vn— HANDLING  PROSPECTS 

a  Last  of  typical  objections  to  the  product.  Give  about 
ten  seconds  to  the  securing  of  each  objection. 

b    How  to  answer  them.     (Limit  each  man's  talk.) 

c  How  to  analyze  objections  and  use  sales  manual, 
if  you  have  one. 

d  Answering  objections  and  questions  that  members 
find  djfficult. 

VHI— WHAT  COMPETING  LINES  OFFER 

a    What  you  will  have  to  meet. 

b    Competition  advertising  and  selling  claims.    Have 

some  of  these  brought  forward  by  salesmen. 
c     How  to  meet  them. 

d    Show  competing  products  and  make  comparisons, 
e     Questions  about  competition. 

IX— NEW  PRODUCTS 
a    Their  value  and  market. 
b    When  they  will  be  ready. 

X— HOW  DEPARTMENTS  COOPERATE 

a    Explanation  of  advertising,  accounting  and  factory 

methods. 
b    How  to  handle  daily  reports. 

XI— THE  COMPANY'S  POLICIES 

a    Explanation  of  the  company's  methods  of  doing 

business, 
b     Its  rules  and  customs  as  they  relate  to  customers, 

the  selling  force  and  all  employees. 


same  time  interesting  news  of  policy  or  progress  for  the  more  experienced 
salesmen  who  have  attended  many  previous  conventions  of  alike  general  scope 


120 THE    SALES    FORCE 

them  may  act  afterwards.  Get  the  men  to  vote  to  call 
the  roll  at  the  beginning  of  every  session.  A  magnetic 
presiding  officer  can  easily  do  this.  Include  the  big 
men — the  home  officers  delegated  to  attend  the  con- 
vention— in  the  roll  call,  and  have  them  show  brains 
enough  to  set  a  good  example  in  the  way  of  prompt  at- 
tendance. 

All  these  measures  will  help  cut  late  coming  to  a 
minimum.  But  they  will  not  secure  prompt  opening  of 
all  sessions.  Men  will  straggle  in,  after  a  session  or  two. 
In  fact,  I  have  known  but  one  firm  that  solved  this  prob- 
lem absolutely.  This  was  a  Chicago  concern,  employing 
one  thousand  salesmen,  which  regularly  held  conventions 
of  branch  managers,  assembled  from  all  over  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  At  one  convention,  the  president, 
who  had  been  annoyed  by  the  coming  in  late  habit,  had 
an  inspiration. 

He  went  to  one  of  the  branch  managers  whom  he  knew 
well.  The  branch  manager  arose  in  a  meeting  and  said, 
"Gentlemen,  I  was  late  in  coming  to  this  session.  I 
was  late  at  the  last  session.  Upon  reflection,  I  know 
that  I  am  without  excuse.  I  could  just  as  well  have 
reached  the  room  on  time.  I  insulted  the  first  speaker 
and  the  whole  convention  this  afternoon  when  I  came  in 
late.  I  hereby  apologize.  I  wish  to  go  further.  We  are 
all  members  of  one  family — all  friends  working  for  a 
common  end.  We  are  here  to  get  all  the  good  we  can 
out  of  this  convention.  If  I  am  late  again  I  am  willing 
to  suffer  a  slight  penalty — and  I  think  others  would  be. 
I  notice  that  there  are  a  number  of  rulers  on  these  desks. 
I  propose ,  that  after  this  meeting  we  all  lay  in  wait  for 
men,  like  me,  who  have  had  a  habit  of  coming  in  late, 
and  that  any  man  who  arrives  more  than  a  minute  be- 
hindhand, be  paddled  like  a  tardy  school  boy." 


HANDLING    A    CONVENTION 121 

I  was  present  when  this  speech  was  made.  Its  recep- 
tion amazed  me.  The  sixty  dignified  branch  managers, 
over-lords  of  one  thousand  salesmen,  laughed  like  chil- 
dren. Some  one  shouted:  "Second  the  motion.  Put 
it  to  a  vote."  The  meeting  passed  the  motion  unani- 
mously. At  the  next  meeting,  several  men  were  late.  The 
others — laughing  with  glee — paddled  them  as  they  dove 
for  their  seats.  After  that,  no  more  men  came  late  to 
convention  sessions  of  that  concern. 

GET  salesmen  out  of  the  habit  of  dropping  into  rear 
seats  by  explaining  that  a  scattered  audience  and 
empty  front  seats  worry  the  average  speaker. 

Another  very  "human"  habit  that  kills  the  effective- 
ness of  conventions  is  the  custom  we  all  have  of  dropping 
into  rear  seats  in  a  hall.  No  one  but  a  public  speaker 
knows  how  important  it  is  to  him  to  have  his  audience 
gathered  closely  about  him.  Empty  seats  before  him 
here  and  there,  a  scattered  audience,  the  consciousness 
that  some  men  are  too  far  off  to  hear  him  distinctly,  and 
are  outside  the  magic  circle  of  his  influence,  will  make 
him  stammer  and  stutter,  will  check  the  flow  of  his 
ideas,  will  take  the  "pip"  out  of  him  like  a  shower  of 
cold  water. 

The  writer  attended  a  convention  of  a  thousand  busi- 
ness men  a  month  ago — owners  and  executive  officers  of 
concerns.  He  was  amazed  to  see  these  prominent  men, 
efficient  in  their  own  concerns,  deliberately  reducing  the 
efficiency  of  one  of  their  sessions  by  scattering  them- 
selves all  over  a  huge  hall,  many  of  them  sitting  far 
back  out  of  hearing. 

At  the  next  session  just  enough  chairs  were  placed  in 
the  vast  hall  to  accommodate  the  audience — and  they 
were  all  arranged  within  easy  ear-shot  of  the  speakers. 


THE    SALES    FORCE 


People  had  to  sit  down  in  front  or  stand  up.  The  tone  of 
the  whole  convention  was  changed  by  this  simple  ex- 
pedient. Yet  out  of  a  thousand  men,  only  one  thought 
of  it.  It  is  a  good  plan  in  small  conventions,  to  assign 
each  man  a  place,  just  as  you  place  dinner  cards  at 
plates  at  a  banquet. 

If  you  can,  use  chairs  that  have  projecting  writing 
arms,  so  that  men  in  the  audience  can  make  notes.  Pro- 
vide note  paper  and  pencils  —  desks  if  your  convention  is 
small. 

Don't  let  men  take  notes  beyond  suggestions  for  them- 
selves of  points  they  want  to  bring  up.  If  you  can 
stand  the  cost  of  a  convention  of  all  your  men,  you  can 
go  a  step  further  and  have  a  relay  of  stenographers  in 
readiness  to  take  down  all  good  points  brought  out,  and 
pay  to  have  these  good  points  gone  over,  sifted,  ar- 
ranged, and  mailed  out  to  the  men  after  the  convention. 
Don't  let  a  man  weary  himself  so  much,  taking  down 
the  good  points  in  one  speech,  that  he  will  neglect  five 
good  speeches,  crowded  with  points,  that  come  after- 
wards. 

Besides,  a  man  taking  notes  steadily  is  in  a  passive 
or  receptive  mood.  You  want  every  man  present  to  be 
in  the  opposite  mood  also  —  to  have  a  mind  free  to  think 
of  suggestions,  free  to  make  them.  You  don't  want  any 
man  to  feel  chained  fast  to  his  desk  and  notebook. 

Still  another  habit  tolerated  in  most  business  conven- 
tions —  hundreds  of  them  —  is  that  of  permitting  men  in 
the  audience  to  carry  on  long,  though  subdued,  personal 
conversations  during  the  sessions.  Two  men  talking 
quietly  but  earnestly  to  each  other  in  a  convention,  can 
take  the  attention  of  a  whole  surrounding  circle  of  men 
off  the  speaker,  distract  his  mind  —  set  other  men  to  talk- 
ing —  lower  the  whole  tone  of  the  convention  —  often  make 


HANDLING    A     CONVENTION 


it  absolutely  impossible  for  the  speaker  to  go  on  with 
any  effectiveness.  Above  all,  don  't  allow  groups  of  three 
or  four  of  your  salesmen  to  start  rival  conventions  in 
the  rear  of  the  hall. 

One  first-class  presiding  officer  that  I  know  has  a 
habit  of  breaking  up  all  such  incipient  conversations  by 
contriving  to  ask  one  of  the  conversationalists,  with  ap- 
parent innocence,  what  is  his  opinion  of  the  idea  the 
speaker  has  just  expressed.  He  is  suave  and  courteous, 
but  as  effective  in  stamping  out  the  conversation  habit 
as  if  he  ordered  offenders  to  the  torture  rack.  He  never 
gives  offense,  but  no  one  except  accredited  speakers  talk 
in  sessions  which  he  conducts. 

Discussions  are  the  bane  of  conventions.  Yet  they 
are  absolute  necessities.  Men  of  different  opinions  will, 
of  course,  take  part.  How  to  conduct  them  to  a  definite, 
conclusive  end  —  how  to  choke  off  long-winded  speakers 
and  keep  wandering  speakers  closely  to  the  subject  —  how 
to  stir  up  interest  and  get  many  men  to  contribute 
ideas  —  these  are  the  highest  arts  of  a  convention  chair- 
man. 

The  average  salesman  seldom  has  a  chance  to  address 
a  large  audience.  When  he  gets  an  audience  at  his 
mercy  he  has  a  tendency  to  talk  as  if  he  were  wound  up 
like  an  eight-day  clock. 

RAMBLING  introductions  are  a  common  fault  which 
the  tactful  presiding  officer  overcomes  by  inducing 
salesmen  to  start  right  in  with  a  point. 

Washington  Irving,  in  his  humorous  history  of  New 
York,  states  in  his  introduction  that  in  order  for  his 
readers  to  understand  why  the  Dutch  settled  in  New 
York,  he  must  go  back  a  bit.  He  thereupon  goes  back  — 
finds  he  has  to  go  back  still  further  —  repeats  this  process 


124 THE    SALES    FORCE 

again  and  again,  and  finally  begins  his  history  of  New 
York  after  an  introduction  of  nearly  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pages — all  of  which,  he  pleasantly  states  in  the 
last  of  them,  are  totally  unnecessary.  Then  he  plunges 
into  his  real  subject. 

Salesmen  have  a  tendency  to  give  "  Washington  Irv- 
ing" introductions  when  they  speak — take  half  a  mile's 
running  start  to  finally  jump  over  an  ant  hill  of  an 
idea  in  their  minds.  It  seems  incredible,  but  any  one 
who  has  attended  many  conventions  knows  that  there 
are  salesmen  with  "brass"  enough  to  rise  without  a  real 
idea,  and  begin  to  talk  expecting  that  by  and  by  they 
will  think  of  something  worth  saying. 

Let  no  man  lead  up  to  his  point.  Make  him  feel  that 
it  is  the  sense  of  the  convention  that  he  should  start  right 
in  with  a  point.  Let  no  man  ramble  along  with  an 
empty  head.  Make  all  feel  that  it  is  the  sense  of  the 
convention  that  each  speaker  should  have  his  thought 
worked  out  before  he  rises  to  make  a  sound  in  the  con- 
vention hall.  A  good  presiding  officer  can  do  these 
things.  A  poor  one  can't. 

The  problem  is  to  induce  salesmen  to  talk  briefly  with- 
out offending  them — to  insure  that  they  give  a  maximum 
of  ideas  in  a  minimum  of  words — that  they  feel  ready 
to  bob  up  eagerly  with  suggestions,  and  equally  willing 
to  sit  down  as  soon  as  they  have  stated  the  "meat"  in 
their  thought.  Too  much  warning  that  you  want  brevity 
will  result  in  having  good  men  with  ideas  decide  not  to 
talk  at  all.  Too  much  laxity,  too  much  over-blown 
courtesy,  too  much  unwillingness  to  curtail  a  man's  ex- 
pression, will  result  in  the  meetings  being  turned  into 
windstorms  of  words  that  will  fog  the  issue,  weary  the 
audience,  and  turn  the  whole  convention  into  the  typi- 
cally stale,  unprofitable  gathering. 


HANDLING    A    CONVENTION 125 

Make  it  clear  that  you  don't  want  to  choke  off  any 
man  who  has  ideas — but  that  what  you  want  are  ideas 
and  not  words.  Say  something  that  will  start  the  shy 
and  silent  men  and  drag  them  out  of  the  corners  they 
naturally  seek.  Often  they  are  the  soundest,  ablest 
thinkers,  if  not  the  loudest  talkers  in  the  room. 

Now,  I  come  to  an  expedient  that  once  turned  a  con- 
vention that  was  like  the  Sahara  desert — all  valueless — 
into  what  the  president  of  the  concern  called  the  most 
fruitful  convention  the  company  had  ever  held. 

According  to  the  nature  of  each  discussion,  set  a  time 
limit  for  each  speaker  before  the  discussion  begins. 
There  are  occasions  when  it  is  better  to  have  100  men 
speak  thirty  seconds  each — than  to  have  one  man  speak 
fifty  minutes.  Have  a  man  with  a  watch  and  bell  on  the 
platform.  Warn  him  to  strike  the  bell  the  minute  a 
man  has  spoken  thirty  seconds — a  minute — five  minutes, 
or  whatever  other  time  you  have  fixed  as  the  limit  ac- 
cording to  the  importance  of  the  discussion. 

ANNOUNCE  a  fair  time  limit  for  speeches  and  use 
a  gong  to  mark  the  last  second;  then  make  an  example 
of  the  big  men  of  the  company  by  holding  them  to  it. 

Have  some  big  men — preferably  officers  of  the  com- 
pany— ready  to  speak  first — let  them  exceed  their  time 
limits — then  have  the  bell  struck  on  them  and  let  them 
sit  down — even  if  they  quit  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence. 
Such  handling  of  the  officers  of  the  company  will  pre- 
vent all  salesmen  who  follow  from  thinking  they  are 
unfairly  treated  when  they  are  made  to  sit  down.  Apply 
the  same  method  to  all  salesmen  who  follow,  no  matter 
how  interesting  their  talks  may  be. 

A  word  about  getting  men  to  "give  up"  their  good 
selling  points.  The  mere  assembling  of  your  men  in  a 


126 THE    SALES    FORCE 

convention  will  not  achieve  this  result.  No  man  will 
tell  a  salesman  how  to  sell  if  that  second  salesman  is 
free  to  sell  in  his  territory.  To  do  so  would  be  suicidal. 
Adopt  a  "  guaranteed  territory "  plan  if  you  want  your 
salesmen  to  give  up  their  "star"  expedients  or  methods; 
that  is,  assign  each  man  a  territory  and  let  no  one  else 
sell  in  it.  At  least,  see  that  the  salesman  who  has  that 
territory  gets  a  commission  on  all  sales  made  in  it, 
whether  he  makes  the  sales  or  not. 

If  you  have  the  "guaranteed  territory"  plan,  your 
men  will  talk  freely  at  conventions — give  you  their  very 
best. 

Never  let  a  man  talk  on  a  topic  that  is  not  before  the 
convention,  no  matter  how  valuable  his  ideas  are.  Stop 
him  instantly  when  he  diverges — tell  him  that  what  he 
is  saying  is  important,  and  that  you  want  him  to  say  it — 
but  at  the  proper  place  in  the  program.  Keep  his  good 
will — but  also  guard  the  convention  against  getting 
switched  off  the  program. 

Point  out,  if  you  are  the  presiding  officer,  the  value 
of  ideas  that  have  just  been  given.  But  do  this  briefly — • 
forcefully.  Make  short  summaries  of  discussions  show- 
ing what  has  been  brought  out.  Show  enthusiasm  about 
what  has  been  done,  and  about  what  is  coming.  In  this 
way  you  will  keep  your  convention  interested  and  en- 
thusiastic. 

There  is  a  time  for  red-fire,  sky-rockets  and  outbursts 
of  wild  shouting  at  all  good  conventions.  That  time  is 
the  close  of  the  convention.  Plan  for  this  as  carefully 
as  you  plan  for  anything  else.  Have  a  dinner  to  close  up 
the  meeting.  Get  some  rousing  speakers.  If  you  can, 
have  the  men  sing  songs  about  their  product — their  con- 
cern. Spring  some  announcement  upon  them  at  this 
time,  if  you  can,  that  will  get  them  to  cheering.  Speak 


HANDLING    A    CONVENTION 127 

with  pride  of  your  organization — your  men — your 
product — your  future  prospects.  Turn  all  your  enthusi- 
asm loose,  and  all  the  enthusiasm  of  everybody  present 
loose,  and  wake  the  stars  with  it.  If  you  have  had  the 
right  kind  of  a  convention  both  you  and  your  men  will 
be  in  the  mood  for  it.  And  there  will  be  no  cursing  at 
the  hotels  and  no  regrets  the  morning  after.  Your 
eonvention  will  have  cleared  away  difficulties,  tied  your 
men  to  the  concern  with  hoops  of  steel,  and  multiplied 
the  sales  power  of  your  organization  many  times. 


CUCCESSFUL  salesmanship  depends  upon  the  confi- 
^  dence  men  may  place  in  your  talk.  Like  every  other 
line  of  business,  to  foster  confidence  is  to  build  success.  If  a 
man  takes  confidence  in  you  from  your  conversation  you  can 
fell  him.  You  cannot  make  sales  where  confidence  is  lacking. 

— Hugh  Chalmers 

President,  Chalmers  Motor  Company 


XV 

INCREASING  STORE  SALES 
BY  QUOTA 

By  Edward  Mott  Woolley 

HOW  much  does  it  cost  me  in  clerk  hire  to  sell  a 
pair  of  shoes?"  a  retail  shoe  dealer  asked  himself. 
Primitive  though  the  question  seemed,  he  had  never  fig- 
ured out  the  problem.  All  his  calculations  of  selling  ex- 
pense had  dealt  only  with  lump  sums. 

By  consulting  his  books  he  found  that  his  total  gross 
sales  had  been  $196,480.  The  total  cost  of  this  stock 
was  $140,986,  leaving  a  gross  profit  of  $55,494. 

However,  when  he  calculated  his  store  expense,  includ- 
ing the  interest  on  his  investment  and  his  own  modest 
salary  of  $2,500,  the  net  profits  were  shown  to  be  only 
$411.29. 

This,  he  believed,  was  a  dangerously  poor  showing, 
for,  while  it  returned  him  a  living,  in  addition  to  five 
per  cent  on  his  investment  of  $50,000,  it  left  nothing 
to  go  into  a  reserve  fund,  and  only  a  few  hundred  dol- 
lars for  extensions.  He  did  not  want  to  put  back  into 
the  business  the  $2,500  which  he  itemized  as  interest 
on  his  capital,  for  he  believed  this  sum  should  go  to  make 
up  an  independent  domestic  reserve.  At  the  same  time 
he  wanted  a  business  reserve  in  order  to  provide  against 
financial  disturbances  or  some  catastrophe  like  fire,  flood 
or  hurricane,  or  against  extraordinary  competition. 
Under  existing  conditions  his  business  hung  in  danger; 


SELLING    TO    QUOTA 129 

any  untoward  event  might  send  it  tumbling   down  a 
declivity. 

As  he  scrutinized  the  items  shown  in  the  expense 
table,  most  of  them  seemed  fairly  fixed.  And  yet,  when 
he  footed  the  total  of  labor  items,  including  his  own 
services,  he  was  astonished  to  discover  the  total  to  be 
$24,884.  This  was  the  human  expense  of  selling  a  gross 
volume  of  about  $200,000  in  goods.  It  included  his 
overhead  labor  costs  as  well  as  the  direct  clerk  hire. 

HUMAN  energy  takes  a  larger  share  of  the  expense 
account  than  any  other  single  item  and  you  can 
standardize  it  as  well  as  your  supply  or  merchandise  needs 

With  the  other  items  of  expense,  aggregating  some- 
thing over  $30,000,  this  chapter  has  no  concern  except  as 
they  have  a  bearing  on  human  energy.  This  factor — hu- 
man energy — was  what  the  shoe  merchant  commenced 
studying.  While  watching  his  clerks  wait  on  customers, 
he  conceived  the  idea  of  studying  and  analyzing  their 
methods  and  detail  motions  in  selling  and  setting  up  a 
sales  quota. 

In  his  preliminary  investigations,  one  of  the  first  ques- 
tions to  suggest  itself  was  this :  *  *  Is  there  any  standard 
by  which  I  can  determine  the  number  of  persons  I  really 
need  in  my  selling  organization  and  fix  a  sales  quota 
for  each?  Given  a  gross  volume  of  about  $200,000  in 
sales,  can  I  measure  accurately  the  physical  energy  neces- 
sary to  handle  it  ? " 

Inquiry  among  a  dozen  other  shoe  dealers  in  his  home 
city  revealed  an  astonishing  difference  of  opinion  on  the 
subject,  and  showed  that  no  real  standard  existed.  One 
large  dealer  placed  the  number  at  fifty,  while  others 
ranged  in  their  estimates  from  twenty-five  to  forty,  these 
figures  including  the  overhead  organization  of  the  store. 


130 THE    SALES    FORCE 

The  gist  of  his  inquiries  indicated  that  a  shoe  clerk 
might,  under  unusually  favorable  circumstances,  sell 
fifty  dollars'  worth  of  shoes  in  a  day.  But  the  next  day, 
more  than  likely,  a  lot  of  whimsical  customers  would 
come  along  and  consume  such  a  heavy  percentage  of 
time  that  the  day's  total  might  not  exceed  twenty-five 
dollars,  while  a  few  lost  sales,  after  the  expenditure  of  a 
high  percentage  of  selling  time,  might  easily  reduce  this 
to  eighteen  dollars  or  less. 

In  smaller  communities  where  he  inquired,  however, 
the  salesman 's  quota  seemed  to  be  higher ;  that  is,  to  sell 
a  dollar's  worth  of  goods  required  less  physical  effort.  In 
one  small  shoe  store  the  two  clerks  showed  an  average 
of  seventy-five  dollars  a  day  apiece,  during  a  rush  period 
of  several  weeks.  This  difference  may  have  been  ac- 
counted for  partly  by  the  fact  that  the  rural  store  was 
kept  open  in  the  evenings;  but,  considering  the  duller 
daylight  hours  as  compared  with  the  city  stores,  condi- 
tions seemed  about  equal.  In  this  small  store,  too,  the 
overhead  organization  was  much  less  expensive. 

T  7ISIT  other  stores  in  your  neighborhood  and  find  out 
V   if  your  best  salesmen  are  selling  goods  at  the  sales 
pace  customary  in  your  competitors'  shops. 

Judged  by  the  prevailing  custom  in  the  city  stores 
where  he  inquired,  the  investigating  merchant  found  his 
organization  above  the  average  efficiency.  He  had  nine- 
teen selling  clerks,  and  an  additional  force,  counting  him- 
self, of  ten  persons.  Measured  by  the  gauges  he  found 
elsewhere  in  his  own  city,  he  should  have  had  from 
twenty-three  to  thirty-five  selling  clerks,  and  a  corre- 
sponding increase  in  the  overhead  force. 

This  was  a  discouraging  beginning.  It  did  not  seem 
possible  at  first  to  reduce  the  number  of  employees. 


SELLING    TO    QUOTA 


131 


HANDLING 

THE 

RETAIL      < 
SALES 


HIRING 


f  DEMAND* 

V" 


EXPERIENCE 

PHYSICAL  CHARACTERISTIC* 

DRESS  AND  PERSONALITY 

FORMER  EMPLOVERS  AND  PAY 

LIVING  AND   FAMILY  C.RCUMS.TANCCS 

RELATIVES  IN  STORK 

REFERENCES 

^LECTURES 
J    HOUSE  ORGAN  OR  BULLETINS 


b 


TRAINING 


PS  ALES  EXPERTS 
PERSONAL       •<    EXECUTIVES 
BUYERS 


; 


HOLDING 


EXTRA 
EARNINGS 


|  PROFIT-SHARING  OR  BONUSES 

I  GIFTS  OR  ENTERTAINMENTS 

I  PRIZES 

I  DISCOUNT  TO  EMPLOYEES 


PROMOTING 


INSURANCE 
MEDICAL  ADVICE. 

WELFARE  WQRK.<    INCENTIVES  FOR   SAVINO 
CLUBS 
CO-OPERATIVE  HOUSEHOLD  BUYING 

("RESPONSIBILITY  FOR  JUSTNESS 
EXECUTIVE       <    STANDARDIZED  ADVANCEMENT 
I    FREQUENT  CONSIDERATION. 

f  TIME  AND  BALFJS  RECORD* 
SUBORDINATE   <    AMBITION. TO  SECURE 
[^  FREEDOM  TO  PEOUESr 


FIGURE  VII:  The  hiring  of  the  employee  is  the  first  step  in  the  effort 
to  measure  human  energy  with  sales  quotas.  After  he  is  once  on  the  pay 
roll,  his  selling  power  is  increased,  as  here  shown,  through  carefully  planned 
training  and  a  definite  prospect  of  promotion.  At  the  same  time,  through 
extra  earnings  and  welfare  work,  precautions  are  made  to  hold  him 


132 THE    SALES    FORCE 

Dividing  his  gross  sales  by  the  number  of  his  selling 
clerks  he  found  that  the  daily  average  of  each  clerk  for 
the  307  selling  days  of  the  year  had  been  about  thirty- 
three  dollars.  Estimating  the  sales  actually  made  by 
himself  and  his  chief  clerk,  this  average  was  cut  down 
close  to  thirty  dollars  a  day.  Calling  the  average  sale 
$2.25,  and  the  working  day,  ten  hours  (the  half  hour  al- 
lowed for  lunch  was  usually  offset  by  the  completion  of 
sales  after  the  closing  hour),  it  was  found  that  the  aver- 
age sale  required  forty-five  minutes  and  cost  about 
twenty  cents  in  clerk  hire. 

Watching  these  conditions  day  by  day,  the  merchant 
became  impressed  more  and  more  with  the  analogy  be- 
tween manufacturing  and  selling.  If  one  underlying 
philosophy  could  be  applied  to  both,  then,  he  decided,  he 
might  arrive  at  some  basic  factor  for  ascertaining  selling 
efficiency. 

The  lack  of  any  basis  for  standards,  however,  puzzled 
him  for  several  weeks.  It  was  difficult  to  measure  this 
selling  factor  of  clerk  hire.  The  profits  of  shoe  stores,  it 
seemed,  depended  on  elements  outside  of  wages,  rent,  de- 
creased or  increased  advertising,  delivery  conditions,  gen- 
eral expenses,  shrewd  buying,  and  the  class  of  goods 
handled.  Had  some  of  these  stores  cut  their  pay  rolls  to 
the  relative  proportions  of  his  own,  their  profits  would 
have  been  high.  On  the  other  hand,  had  he  increased  his 
pay  roll  to  correspond  with  those  of  certain  other  shoe 
stores,  he  would  have  lost  money  heavily. 

In  other  words,  this  relationship  of  clerks  to  gross 
sales  or  to  net  sales  seemed  very  largely  a  matter  of  in- 
dividual opinion. 

So,  not  having  any  established  standard  or  precedent 
worthy  of  full  acceptance,  he  set  about  the  task  of  estab- 
lishing a  standard  for  his  own  store  alone.  Whether  or 


SELLING    TO    QUOTA 133 

not  such  a  standard  could  be  taken  by  some  other  store 
did  not  trouble  him.  The  problem  was:  "How  many 
persons,  working  at  their  full  normal  efficiency  and 
under  proper  conditions,  can  handle  an  annual  volume  of 
sales  amounting  to  $196,000?  What  is  normal  sales  quota 
fora  clerk  ?" 

It  was  very  clear,  of  course,  that  in  selling  operations 
there  are  variables  that  do  not  exist  in  manufacturing 
operations.  The  manufacturer  might  determine  every 
motion  and  count  every  minute  and  fraction  of  a  min- 
ute, while  the  seller  must  allow  for  time  consumed  by 
the  whim  of  the  customer. 

For  instance,  one  customer  came  into  this  shoe  store 
and  tried  on  a  dozen  pairs  of  shoes  and  walked  out  with- 
out buying  at  all.  Another  customer  bought  the  first 
pair  of  shoes  shown  him.  This  was  the  variable  element, 
not  susceptible  of  accurate  measurement,  though  perhaps 
calculable  as  a  general  average. 

THIS  retailer  discovered  that  the  average  clerk  in  hi» 
store  sells  a  certain  amount  of  stock  at  a  cost  which 
he  succeeded  in  reducing  by  quotas. 

But  this  general  average,  day  in  and  day  out,  set  up 
for  a  clerk  a  sales  quota  of  thirty  dollars  a  day.  In 
other  words,  it  was  costing  around  nine  per  cent  of  the 
sales  to  pay  the  salesmen. 

The  owner  of  this  store  questioned  retailers  who  did 
not  handle  shoes.  They  spent  varying  percentages  of 
their  sales  incomes  on  clerk  hire  but  an  average  settled 
between  five  and  six  per  cent.  Good  salesmen  are  needed 
to  sell  shoes  satisfactorily,  and  the  shoe  dealer  decided 
he  could  afford  the  higher  direct  selling  percentage, 
seven  per  cent. 

His  actual  percentage  gave  a  sales  quota  of  thirty; 


134 THE    SALES    FORCE 

dollars  a  day  to  a  clerk.  The  desired  seven  per  cent 
quota  would  require  each  salesman  to  sell  about  seventy 
cents  more  a  day.  The  total  at  the  end  of  a  year  would 
increase  his  four  hundred  dollar  net  profit  over  tenfold. 

He  called  his  men  together.  "We  sell  about  thirty 
dollars'  worth  of  shoes  apiece  a  day,"  he  said.  "That's 
an  average  over  a  year — you  exceed  it  today,  fall  below 
it  tomorrow,  and  about  equal  it  over  twelve  months.  I've 
looked  into  other  shoe  stores — they  usually  sell  less  to  a 
man.  That  means  you  are  better  than  the  average.  I  'm 
proud  and  glad  of  it. 

"But  I  find  that  retailers  who  market  dry  goods  and 
groceries,  and  other  things  we  don't  handle,  sell  more 
to  a  clerk  than  we  do.  They  are  getting  ahead  of  us. 
They  pay  about  seven  per  cent  of  the  sales  for  direct 
selling ;  we  pay  nine  per  cent.  We  sell  thirty  dollars  a 
day  apiece ;  they  handle  thirty  dollars  and  seventy  cents. 

"Now  I  want  you  to  equal  that  seven  per  cent  record 
— to  sell  seventy  cents  more  during  the  average  day.  It 
seems  a  little  sum,  but  in  the  year  it  will  be  enough  to 
ease  me  of  a  good  deal  of  worry.  The  store  is  running 
so  close  now  that  I  worry.  Let's  set  a  sales  quota  of 
thirty  dollars  and  seventy  cents  from  now  on.  Every 
Thursday  night  we'll  meet  and  talk  over  ways  and 
means.7' 

The  men  caught  their  employer's  spirit.  ' ' How 's  your 
sales  quota?"  became  the  store  slogan.  The  Thursday 
evening  meetings  were  clearing  houses  for  suggestions 
and  plans.  Bulletins  posted  in  the  rear  of  the  store  gave 
each  man's  quota.  The  salesman  with  the  highest  daily 
average,  under  seven  and  one-tenth  per  cent,  for  a  week 
received  five  crisp  extra  one  dollar  bills  in  his  Saturday 
night  pay  envelope. 

The  proprietor  found  that  neither  enthusiasm  among 


SELLING    TO    QUOTA 135 

the  salesmen  for  the  quota  idea  nor  the  weekly  prize 
could  be  relied  upon  alone  to  cut  the  direct  sales  cost  to 
seven  per  cent. 

Careful  study  pointed  many  methods  which  could  help 
hard  work  and  team  spirit,  however.  For  instance,  one 
of  the  clerks  pointed  out  that  the  more  experienced  sales- 
men could  be  concentrated  on  the  best  paying  class  of 
work.  A  seventeen  dollar  clerk,  say,  gets  a  difficult  cus- 
tomer, and  the  chief  clerk,  always  on  watch,  sees  that  an 
unprofitable  amount  of  time  is  likely  to  be  consumed. 
Diplomatically  he  turns  the  customer  over  to  a  ten  dollar 
clerk  or,  if  he  thinks  the  sale  can  be  made,  assumes  the 
task  himself. 

A  motion  study  and  stock  rearrangement  also  helped  to 
secure  the  seven  per  cent  sales  quota.  The  proprietor  of 
this  shoe  store  plans  next  year  to  set  a  six  and  a  half  per 
cent  quota. 

"The  quota  plan  is  a  winner,"  he  says.  "It  gives 
you  and  the  boys  something  to  fight  for.  It  makes  you 
jog  yourself  up  and  look  around  for  expense  leaks.  Re- 
ward your  salespeople  for  getting  the  quotas  you  set, 
make  the  quota  fair,  and  remember  that  increased  efforts 
by  the  salesmen  alone  will  not  usually  cut  the  sales  ex- 
pense radically.  Then  you  will  find  that  sales  quotas 
build  profits.'* 

YOU  can  do  what  this  shoe  dealer  accomplished  and 
establish  sales  quotas  which  improve  telling  efficiency 
and  give  you  a  strong  grip  on  expense. 

If  men  can  determine  a  standard  relation  between  the 
output  of  a  factory  on  the  one  hand  and  its  equipment 
and  labor  on  the  other,  you  ought  to  be  able  to  determine, 
with  some  degree  of  mathematical  accuracy,  what  ratio 
the  labor  and  mechanism  of  a  store  ought  to  bear  to  the 


136 THE    SALES    FORCE 

money  volume  of  goods  sold.  You  ought  to  know,  for  in- 
stance, whether  sixteen  or  forty  clerks  are  needed  to  sell 
$200,000  in  shoes,  making  due  allowance,  of  course,  for 
varying  conditions.  If  some  man's  selling  expense  is 
$1,000,  while  yours  is  $1,800  under  like  circumstances, 
you  ought  to  be  able  to  put  your  hand  upon  the  cause 
of  your  low  selling  efficiency — about  fifty-five  per  cent. 
Better  still,  you  ought  to  so  regulate  your  business  from 
the  start  that  the  percentage  will  be  pretty  well  up  to- 
ward one  hundred. 

The  only  way  you  can  ever  do  this  is  by  studying  and 
standardizing  all  the  conditions  on  which  sales  depend. 
You  must  standardize  your  selling  equipment,  that  is, 
you  must  analyze,  study  and  experiment  until  you  are 
satisfied  you  have  arrived  at  the  best  available  devices 
and  methods.  You  must  get  rid  of  your  antiquated 
shelves  and  groupings  and  mechanisms — get  rid  of  them 
by  degrees  as  you  work  out  your  problems — and  then  you 
must  train  your  selling  force  to  use  the  standard  equip- 
ment to  its  approximate  maximum.  And,  having  de- 
termined the  task  that  a  normally  efficient  selling  force 
can  accomplish,  you  must  see  that  your  selling  force 
does  accomplish  that  task,  and  you  must  reward  it  for 
doing  so. 


CHOW  me  a  house  where  all  the  employees  are  educated  to 
^  think  kindly  of  the  customers,  so  that  in  speaking  of  them 
they  use  courteous  phrases ;  and  I  can  safely  predict  for  that 
house  a  rapid  and  continuous  success  so  long  as  that  policy 
prevails. 

— Daniel  Louis  Hanson 

Sales  Manager,  The  Federal  Company 


PART  III— DEVELOPING 

THE  KNACK  OF 

SELLING 

My  First  Rule  of  Salesmanship 

HHHE  best  and  most  successful  salesman  I  have 
*•  ever  known  is  the  man  who  tries  to  help  his 
customer— who  contributes  something  to  his  in- 
formation and  benefit  every  time  he  calls  to  see 
him — who  makes  it  a  point  to  remember  certain 
things  that  he  has  seen  elsewhere  or  heard,  and 
then  presents  them  unostentatiously  to  the  mind 
of  his  patron  in  the  next  town  he  visits,  and 
gives  him  the  opportunity  of  adopting  the  sug- 
gestions or  not  as  he  may  think  best:  it  is  the 
general  principle  of  trying  to  do  good,  applied  to 
salesmanship. 

It  is  quite  a  simple  matter  for  any  traveling 
salesman  to  be  of  benefit  or  assistance  to  the 
merchants  he  visits.  He  has  a  broader  contact 
or  experience  than  the  average  retail  merchant — 
he  goes  from  town  to  town,  and  from  store  to 
store,  and  talks  with  different  men  each  day;  and 
if  he  is  intelligent,  he  can  measure  up  and  ascer- 
tain the  merits  of  different  ways  and  methods  of 
conducting  a  business. 

The  most  useful  men  in  the  world,  as  well  as 
the  happiest,  are  those  who  have  in  mind 
constantly  the  desire  to  do  some  good  to  others. 


E.  C.  SIMMONS 

Chairman  of  the  Board,  Simmons  Hardware  Company 


XVI 

HOW  TO  TRAIN  YOURSELF 
TO  SELL 


By  W.  A.  Waterbury 
Sales  Manager,  A.  B.  Dick  Company 


WEBSTER  defines  science  as  "the  study  of  a 
trade"  and  salesmanship  as  "the  business  of  sell- 
ing goods,"  from  which  we  deduce  "scientific  salesman- 
ship "  as  a  study  of  selling  goods.  This  is  in  contradis- 
tinction to  ordinary  salesmanship,  which  embraces  only 
the  simple  exchange  of  merchandise  for  an  equivalent. 
The  individuals  of  this  class  are  a  drug  on  the  market 
and  are  already  too  numerous.  The  title  of  "salesman" 
when  applied  to  them  carries  with  it  no  especial  signifi- 
cance. 

Scientific  salesmanship,  however,  involves  continual 
study.  When  the  scientific  salesman  sells  a  bill  of  goods 
he  applies  his  mind  to  a  consideration  of  the  surround- 
ings and  conditions  governing  that  sale,  to  ascertain  how 
he  can  duplicate  it  with  less  expense  of  time,  labor,  or 
money,  and  with  a  prospect  of  a  greater  amount  of 
profit. 

Scientific  salesmanship  does  not  necessarily  require  a 
college  education,  although  no  one  will  dispute  the  ad- 
vantage of  such  a  foundation  to  build  upon.  It  doea 
demand  as  faithful  application  as  is  given  to  the  mastery 
of  a  language  or  a  profession.  The  community  is  today 
burdened  with  salesmen  of  mediocre  ability,  while  the 
man  skilled  in  selling  goods  is  eagerly  sought  by  the 


140 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

captains  of  industry  and  the  leaders  of  our  greatest  com- 
mercial enterprises. 

The  scientific  salesman  studies  his  own  character  as 
well  as  his  customer's  peculiarities.  He  knows  his  own 
faults  and  tries  to  overcome  them.  If  he  is  inclined  to 
be  careless  in  his  personal  appearance,  he  recognizes  the 
effect  on  his  customer  and  thereafter  his  shoes  are  polished 
a  little  oftener,  his  clothes  are  pressed  more  frequently 
and  his  linen  is  kept  in  better  condition.  These  are  small 
items,  but  they  weigh  heavily  in  general  results.  If  his 
disposition  is  jocular  it  will  not  be  long  before  he  loses 
some  important  order.  Too  much  familiarity  breeds 
contempt,  and  a  customer  would  better  be  approached 
with  dignity  and  reserve.  If  there  is  any  levity  to  be 
indulged  in,  let  the  customer  have  a  monopoly  of  it 
until  firm  relations  are  established. 

T)OLITENESS  and  self-control  do  not  secure  business 
A  of  themselves,  but  they  strengthen  setting  personality 
if  not  overplayed  to  the  point  of  effusiveness. 

The  scientific  salesman  is  always  polite.  This  does 
not  mean  that  he  must  be  effusive  to  the  point  of  offense, 
but  first  impressions  are  usually  lasting  ones,  and  the 
salesman  who  approaches  a  prospective  customer  in  a 
brusque  or  indifferent  manner  has  already  prejudiced 
his  standing.  Politeness  may  not  secure  business,  but  I 
have  never  known  it  to  hurt  a  salesman's  chances.  The 
scientific  salesman  studies  not  only  to  secure  business, 
but  to  avoid  losing  it. 

He  should  have  absolute  self-control.  He  has  but  one 
nature  and  one  disposition,  but  is  coming  in  contact  with 
thousands,  no  two  of  whom  are  exactly  alike.  Methods 
that  will  be  accepted  without  criticism  by  one  man  are 
odious  and  objectionable  to  another.  The  scientific  sales- 


HOW    TO    TRAIN    YOURSELF 


141 


man  should  retain  such  perfect  control  of  his  conversa- 
tion, his  temper,  and  his  deportment  that  he  will  per- 
ceive instantly  when  he  is  on  the  wrong  track  and  change 
his  course.  He  can  maintain  his  dignity  under  the  most 
exasperating  circumstances. 

The  scientific  salesman  is  a  close  student  of  human 


TRAINING 
YOURSELF  < 
TO  SELL 


STUDYING 

YOUR 
PROPOSITION 


COACHING 
YOURSELF 


FOCUSING 
ON  YOUR 
PROSPECT 


YOUR  GOODS 
COMPETITION 
TRADE  PAPERS 

{CHARACTER  AND  DISPOSITION 
APPEARANCE  AND  DRESS 
STUDY  OF  FAILURES  AND  SUCCESSES 
INDUSTRY  AND  AMBITION 


CHARACTERISTICS 
BUYING  CAPACITY 
PREVIOUS  PURCHASES 
FINANCIAL  CONDITION 
SATISFACTION 
CO-OPERATION 


FIGURE  VIII:     The  factors  here  shown  give  you  definite  points  against 

which  to  check  yourself.     Scientific  salesmanship  demands  that  a  careful 

balance  be  kept  between  the  three  main  divisions  charted:    yourself,  the 

proposition,  and  the  prospect 

nature.  When  addressing  a  prospective  customer  he 
quickly  detects  whether  the  occasion  is  favorable  or  in- 
opportune for  pressing  his  case,  and  if  unfavorable,  he 
withdraws  diplomatically,  leaving  the  way  open  for  a 
future  engagement.  He  appreciates  the  fact  that  a  busi- 


142 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

ness  man  may  have  far  more  important  matters  than  his 
call  demanding  attention.  Often  I  hear  a  salesman  say : 
"I  cannot  get  at  Mr.  Wilcox."  The  trouble  is  not  with 
Mr.  Wilcox,  but  with  the  manner  with  which,  or  the 
time  at  which,  the  salesman  approached  him.  Mr.  Wilcox 
is  a  business  man  and  probably  much  like  other  business 
men,  and  there  is  always  a  time  when  he  can  be  ap- 
proached in  a  proper  manner.  The  scientific  salesman 
finds  it.  The  ordinary  salesman  gives  up  and  probably 
loses  business  that  could  have  been  easily  secured  had 
he  given  the  problem  a  little  study.  I  always  attribute  a 
failure  to  secure  an  audience  to  the  inability  of  the 
salesman  and  never  to  the  seclusion  of  the  business  man. 
The  scientific  salesman  recognizes  his  weakness  and 
studies  to  correct  it. 

The  scientific  salesman  does  not  approach  all  men  in 
the  same  manner.  One  man  may  be  greeted  with  an 
outstretched  hand,  while  another  would  consider  it  an 
act  of  familiarity  and  an  affront  to  his  dignity.  To  meet 
such  cases  discrimination,  or,  as  we  use  the  term, 
" science,"  must  be  displayed. 

The  scientific  salesman  knows  how  to  record  his  im- 
pressions of  his  customer;  he  remembers  what  points 
to  dwell  upon,  what  points  to  avoid.  He  flatters  his 
customer  to  the  extent  of  addressing  him  by  name  in- 
stantly, by  recalling  previous  conversations  and  corre- 
spondence. He  makes  his  customer  feel  that  he  is  not 
merely  one  among  hundreds  of  others,  but  one  whose 
personality  has  made  a  distinct  impression,  whose  char- 
acter has  not  been  forgotten  in  the  rush  of  business.  A 
salesman  who  forgets  the  incidents  of  previous  inter- 
views or  who  confuses  one  customer  with  another  handi- 
caps himself  at  once. 

The  scientific  salesman  must  be  shrewd  but  not  de- 


HOW    TO    TRAIN    YOURSELF 143 

ceitful.  He  does  not  rely  on  misrepresentation  to  win 
business,  neither  does  he  resort  to  falsehood  or  intrigue 
to  strengthen  his  position.  He  does  not  defame  his 
legitimate  competitors. 

STUDY  the  methods  of  your  competitors  and  plan  to 
capitalize  the  fact  that  minds  as  keen  as  yours  are 
on  the  road  for  the  same  business  you  desire. 

The  scientific  salesman  makes  a  study  of  the  goods  he 
sells.  If  a  manufactured  product,  you  will  find  him 
familiar  with  the  process  of  construction  from  the  raw 
material  to  the  finished  article.  He  is  best  prepared  to 
meet  a  competitor  when  he  has  a  comprehensive  knowl- 
edge of  the  goods  he  represents,  their  advantages  and  the 
quality  of  the  material  of  which  they  are  constructed. 
This  information  enables  him  to  discuss  his  business 
more  intelligently,  makes  him  master  of  his  trade  and 
places  his  adversary,  if  he  is  without  a  corresponding 
knowledge,  at  a  disadvantage.  So  far  as  practicable  he 
will  have  a  similar  knowledge  of  his  competitors'  goods, 
but  will  say  little  about  them,  using  his  knowledge 
negatively  but  effectually,  and  thus  will  not  be  appar- 
ently hostile  to  a  friendly  competitor. 

The  scientific  salesman  studies  the  methods  of  his  com- 
petitors. The  man  who  flatters  himself  that  he  has  a 
monopoly  of  the  science  of  selling  goods  will  very  likely 
find  himself  losing  valuable  business.  Competition  is 
keen  and  other  minds  as  brilliant  as  his  are  working 
along  the  same  channels ;  but  knowledge  is  power,  and  he 
who  possesses  the  greatest  amount  of  it  is  more  likely 
to  succeed  than  he  who  thinks  there  is  nothing  more  to 
learn.  The  scientific  salesman  does  not  ignore  the  meth- 
ods employed  by  others  in  his  own  line. 

He  is  persistent.    He  never  takes  ' i  no  "  for  an  answer. 


144 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

He  reasons  with  himself  to  find  the  causes  of  his  failure 
to  win  his  customer 's  confidence,  and,  placing  himself  in 
the  position  of  the  man  approached,  considers  his  argu- 
ment's appeal.  Then  he  returns  and  tries  again  in 
another  manner. 

The  scientific  salesman  is  industrious.  When  he  is  not 
selling  he  is  thinking.  His  mind  is  on  his  business.  His 
attention  is  not  divided  with  outside  interests.  He  con- 
stitutes himself  a  standing  committee  on  ways  and  means 
to  devise  new  plans  and  execute  new  schemes.  He  keeps 
in  close  touch  with  his  superior  officers,  seeks  their  con- 
fidence and  gives  them  his,  and  establishes  a  closer  bond 
of  friendship  between  his  customers  and  the  house  he 
represents. 

The  scientific  salesman  is  ambitious.  He  is  not  satis- 
fied with  what  he  has  done,  but  is  always  trying  to  do 
more.  "Good  enough"  is  not  his  motto.  "Better  still" 
is  his  constant  watchword. 

Can  all  salesmen  become  scientific?  Yes,  but  some 
more  so  than  others.  The  salesman  who  is  content  to 
travel  in  a  rut,  satisfied  with  just  enough  business  to 
enable  him  to  retain  his  position,  will  never  attain  much 
science  in  his  work.  He  makes  no  friends,  creates  no  last- 
ing impression  and  adds  no  especial  strength  to  the 
standing  of  his  house.  He  gets  his  order  because  his 
customer  happens  to  want  the  goods  at  a  particular 
moment,  or  because  he  has  made  his  price  an  inducement 
in  itself.  Giving  away  goods  does  not  constitute  sales- 
manship, nor  does  selling  them  at  the  least  possible 
profit. 

It  rests  with  every  man  to  develop  the  degree  of 
scientific  salesmanship  he  can  command.  It  is  not  knowl- 
edge which  can  be  bought,  but  which  must  be  acquired 
by  diligent,  patient  and  persistent  effort.  The  salesman 


HOW    TO    TRAIN    YOURSELF 145 

who  will  apply  himself  to  secure  it  will  not  only  be  con- 
stantly employed,  but  will  advance  steadily  in  responsi- 
bility and,  equally  vital,  will  rise  in  the  estimation  of  his 
employers,  his  customers  and  associates  and  most  of 
all,  himself. 


'T'HE  greatest  factor  in  the  success  of  any  retail  business 
•*•  is  the  courtesy  and  enthusiasm  of  the  salesmen.  Men 
may  talk  about  the  savings  effected  through  th°ir  system  of 
buying,  and  all  that,  but  we  don't  depend  on  the  wholesaler 
for  our  patronage.  It  is  the  public  that  buys  from  us — the 
public  whom  we  must  please — and  our  only  way  of  pleasing 
the  public  is  through  our  salesmen. 

This  is  true  not  only  of  a  clothing  business,  but  of  any  retail 
store.  Some  men  slam  down  their  merchandise  in  front  oj 
you  in  a  way  that  says,  "Here's  your  goods.  Want  'em?" 

Good  judgment  in  hiring  men  is  what  a  store  manager 
needs.  You  can't  change  a  salesman's  nature  after  he  is 
hired,  and  a  man  has  to  be  a  good  judge  of  human  nature  in 
order  to  pick  his  force  right. 

A  man  who  could  judge  exactly  right  of  an  applicant  every 
time  would  be  worth  his  weight  in  gold.  That  is  what  lay  at 
the  bottom  of  Marshall  Field's  success;  ability  to  choose  men 
and  to  put  the  right  man  in  the  right  place. 

— Thomas  J.  Considine 

Manager,  Browning,  King  &  Company 


XVII 

WHEN  THE  SALESMAN  GOES 
TO  SCHOOL 

By  B.  C.  Bean 

TWENTY-FIVE  years  ago,  the  manufacturer  made 
his  line  and  considered  his  task  ended.  The  sales- 
man was  counted  upon  to  do  the  rest.  So  much  was  ex- 
pected of  him  that  less  than  ten  per  cent  of  all  appli- 
cants made  good;  the  rest  fell  down  with  loss  to  them- 
selves and  greater  loss  to  the  house.  No  effort  was  made 
in  those  halcyon  days  to  educate  a  salesman.  Schools 
for  the  purpose,  either  within  the  factory,  or  elsewhere, 
were  unknown.  Had  they  been  suggested,  the  innova- 
tion would  have  been  scouted  and  the  innovator  drowned 
in  ridicule. 

So  the  manufacturer  was  always  on  a  still  hunt  for 
men  with  natural  sales  ability,  and  when  he  had  sifted 
a  few  of  them  from  the  overwhelming  mass  of  the  un- 
worthy, he  turned  his  business  over  to  them.  They  sold 
his  product.  All  he  had  to  do  was  to  make  it.  The 
salesmen  owned  the  trade.  They  held  it  in  the  hollows 
of  their  hands,  and  when  it  suited  their  convenience  for 
any  reason  to  change  their  allegiance  they  took  the  trade 
with  them  bodily. 

That  they  should  own  the  trade  was  inevitable  because 
they  had  worked  up  this  trade  with  infinite  thought  and 
infinite  patience.  The  salesman  took  his  new  and  un- 
tried goods,  studied  their  merits  and  qualities.  He  "sold 


SALES    SCHOOLING 147 

himself"  first,  then  went  out  and  found  his  prospects 
and  sold  them.  He  created  in  each  man  a  desire  for 
the  goods,  and  also  the  confidence  necessary  to  make  him 
purchase. 

This  whole  process  was  strictly  personal  and  based 
upon  confidence  in  the  salesman.  And  since  each  cus- 
tomer was  obtained  in  the  same  way — by  the  same 
labored  process,  the  whole  trade  as  one  man  belonged  to 
the  salesman.  Him  they  trusted. 

He  had  won  their  confidence,  and  although  good  goods 
were  then,  as  now,  absolutely  necessary,  the  confidence 
was  in  the  salesman.  The  customer  rightly  reasoned: 
"This  man  is  my  friend;  he  has  never  deceived  me  in 
the  quality  of  his  goods ;  he  sees  fit  to  change  his  prin- 
cipal for  reasons  good  enough  for  him,  and  good  enough 
for  me." 

npODAY  the  road  is  blazed  for  the  salesman  and  his 
A   route  scheduled  through   a  sales  harvest  carefully 
estimated  from  statistics  before  he  packs  his  grip. 

The  salesman  worked  up  his  trade,  under  the  old 
method,  in  a  slow  and  laborious  way.  The  old  war  horses 
tell  how  they  scarcely  made  expenses  the  first  year,  some 
going  so  far  as  to  say  they  lost  money.  The  next  year 
they  made  the  wages  of  a  hired  man,  and  so  on,  till  they 
had  their  territories  well  in  hand.  Then  they  became, 
and  rightly  so,  the  autocrats  of  the  road. 

Under  the  old  method,  the  salesman  studied  the  pos- 
sibilities of  his  line  for  himself.  Each  man  made  his 
own  investigations.  Each  man  developed  his  own  sell- 
ing talk.  Under  modern  methods,  the  salesman  is  taught 
exactly  how  to  sell — how  to  approach  his  prospect,  how  to 
interest  him,  how  to  demonstrate  his  goods,  how  to  close 
the  order.  Every  step  has  been  worked  out  carefully  by 


148 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

•-•'•          I      ^•••••••••••••••••••-•^•^^•••••^•'^•••^•••••••••••IBI I  I          •  !!••!•••••.  -  ••     •«•••••••      » 

old  salesmen  or  by  a  specialist  on  selling.  The  resulting 
method  is  elaborate,  systematic,  exhaustive,  and  is  im- 
proved from  time  to  time  as  opportunity  or  experience 
suggests  a  betterment.  Every  salesman  goes  out  equipped 
with  better  ammunition  and  a  better  plan  than  the  best 
did  under  old  methods. 

Under  the  old  practice,  the  salesman  explored  his 
territory  and  found  his  trade.  Nowadays,  this  is  all 
worked  out  in  advance  by  the  house.  The  routes,  and 
even  the  time  allowed  to  each  town,  are  prepared  for 
the  salesman.  He  is  provided  with  lists  of  all  possible 
customers,  their  ratings,  and  any  information  about 
them  which  can  be  obtained. 

Under  the  old  plan  the  salesman  created  the  interest 
in  his  goods.  He  had  to  do  this  for  each  sale  and  with 
each  customer.  Now  this  interest  is  aroused  before  the 
salesman  goes  out.  It  is  done  by  advance  selling  talk  in 
the  shape  of  circulars,  booklets,  letters ;  in  the  case  of  an 
established  line,  by  magazine  and  newspaper  campaigns 
and  other  forms  of  general  advertising. 

Under  old  methods  the  salesman  had  to  win  the  con- 
fidence of  his  purchaser.  Now  confidence  in  the  goods 
and  in  the  house  is  largely  won  by  the  character  of  the 
information  sent  in  advance.  When  the  line  is  not  a 
new  one  which  has  been  advertised  for  years,  the  ques- 
tion of  confidence,  even  to  a  dealer  who  has  never  han- 
dled it,  is  largely  settled  before  the  appearance  of  the 
salesman. 

Modern  methods  provide  that  the  salesman  be  one  of  a 
trained  selling  organization.  This  organization  may  num- 
ber one,-  one  thousand,  or  any  intermediate  number. 
About  the  best  selling  organization  I  can  call  to  mind 
consisted  of  one  man.  He  was  not  only  the  entire  selling 
force,  but  the  administrative  force,  the  advertising  force, 


SALES    SCHOOLING 149 

and  the  manufacturing  force,  as  well.  Doubtless  you 
have  seen  him  also.  He  disposed  of  a  wonderful  head- 
ache remedy,  and  did  not  give  it  away,  either.  Having 
previously  made  up  a  quantity  of  the  harmless  prepara- 
tion, he  mounted  a  dry  goods  box  on  the  corner  and  dis- 
tributed his  wares  to  all  comers.  Psychology  was  an  un- 
known word  to  him  and  the  principles  of  salesmanship 
were  things  of  which  he  had  no  cognizance.  But  he 
was  in  himself  a  trained  selling  organization,  which, 
though  crude,  was  effective.  He  made  up  in  organiza- 
tion what  he  lacked  in  equipment. 

Far  removed  from  the  example  given  abovs,  stands  the 
selling  organization  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company.  Em- 
bracing as  it  does  a  selling  force  which  directly  and  in- 
directly may  be  said  to  number  nearly  a  million,  the  re- 
sult of  the  cooperation  of  big  business  and  salesmanship 
is  common  knowledge. 

T  DEAL  organizations  develop  salesmen  with  the  growth 
A  of  the  force  and  assist  each  man  with  the  combined 
experience  of  both  his  comrades  and  his  superiors. 

The  ideal  selling  organization  is  one  that  is  co-ordinate 
with  the  business  organization,  working  along  the  same 
lines.  This  means  that  the  salesman  is  developed  as  the 
organization  develops  and  that  he  draws  his  knowledge 
of  applied  selling  from  the  man  or  men  above  him,  as 
well  as  from  the  wealth  of  his  own  practical  experience. 

The  old  idea  was,  and  to  some  extent  holds  to  the 
present  day,  that  salesmanship  is  a  thing  apart  from 
office  management.  The  office  manager  practically  took 
the  stand  that  his  was  the  work  of  management.  The 
salesman  was  considered  as  a  man  in  a  business  or  pro- 
fession apart  from  that  of  the  manager.  If  the  salesman 
looked  to  the  manager  for  the  solution  of  a  practical 


150 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

problem  in  salesmanship,  the  matter  would  probably  be 
referred  back  to  the  salesman  with  the  remark  that  this 
was  a  question  of  selling,  not  of  management,  and  as  such 
should  come  in  the  salesman's  field. 

Today  the  manager  is  considered  just  as  much— in- 
deed more — of  a  salesman  than  the  men  under  him. 
There  is  no  problem  in  salesmanship  that  can  possibly 
come  up  in  a  territory  that  the  salesman  can  not  get 
solved  by  the  manager.  There  is  nothing  that  nerves  a 
salesman  up  for  accurate,  painstaking,  intense  work, 
more  than  to  know  that  the  man  from  whom  he  is  taking 
orders  ranks  him  in  the  knowledge  of  which  he  himself 
is  an  exponent. 

Now  and  then  a  business  comes  to  the  front  without 
an  organized  means  of  selling,  but  it  is  rare  indeed  that 
this  happens.  And  it  is  no  unsuggestive  coincidence 
that  the  most  successful  businesses  of  the  day  organize, 
drill,  and  school  their  salesmen  with  the  greatest  thor- 
oughness possible. 

The  methods  of  the  National  Cash  Register  Company 
have  become  classic  in  the  annals  of  salesmanship.  To 
take  the  inexperienced  man,  educate  him,  drill  him  re- 
lentlessly in  a  school  more  severe  than  that  of  experience 
and  cause  him  to  make  himself  a  success,  is  an  accom- 
plishment full  of  inspiration  and  suggestion  to  the 
progressive  sales  manager. 

More  difficult,  in  a  way,  has  been  the  building  up  of  a 
sales  force  for  a  large  New  York  magazine.  This  force 
employs  thousands  of  agents.  The  unique  feature  of  its 
agency  campaign  is  the  fact  that  each  agent  receives  cor- 
respondence instruction  in  salesmanship.  These  instruc- 
tions cover  the  basic  principles  of  salesmanship,  which 
are  the  same  in  all  lines,  the  technical  methods  employed 
in  magazine  salesmanship,  and  the  general  inspirational 


SALES    SCHOOLING 151 

matter  which  keeps  the  men  up  and  going.  The  aim  of 
the  management — and  what  is  actually  carried  out — is 
to  instruct  the  salesman  just  as  thoroughly  as  though  he 
were  actually  in  the  presence  of  his  instructor.  That  this 
is  successfully  done  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  of  all  the 
prominent  American  competitors  that  have  tried  to  build 
up  a  successful  agency  force,  this  magazine  is  one  of 
perhaps  five  that  have  overcome  the  difficulties. 

The  exact  method  by  which  this  has  been  effected 
has  been  through  the  correspondence  course  in  magazine 
salesmanship  already  referred  to,  rounded  out  by  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  supplementary  literary  matter,  such 
as  ' '  Stray  Hits,  a  periodical  of  inspiration,  progress  and 
self-help, ' '  listing  the  leading  solicitors,  giving  the  name, 
number  of  subscriptions,  gain  or  loss  over  previous 
record,  and  inspirational  comments  on  the  standing  of 
competitors.  Reports  in  detail  to  the  home  office  give  a 
chance  to  encourage,  instruct,  and  enthuse  the  solicitor. 

Tf  NCOURAGEMENT  put  on  paper  by  an  experi- 
E-J  enced  salesman  who  can  write  well  is  of  great 
value  to  the  field  man  when  it  follows  these  specific  lines 

One  of  the  modern  methods  that  may  or  may  not 
smack  of  actual  experience,  is  the  administration  of  sales 
forces  by  the  tabloid  process.  The  boys  out  on  the  road 
now  often  receive,  in  place  of  specific  instructions,  the 
"gingerism"  of  a  well  written  talk  by  some  master  of 
the  salesman's  craft,  who  is  able  to  place  what  he  knows 
upon  paper.  This  is  true  tabloid  salesmanship  when  it 
deals  with  the  principles  of  the  art  and  makes  specific 
application,  but  when  it  merely  relates  a  number  of  well 
worn  truths  in  regard  to  selling,  it  borders  closely  on 
mere  observation.  It  is  an  easy  matter  for  a  trainer  to 
say  to  his  man,  ' '  Hit  him  hard ;  go  in  and  win, ' '  but  it 


152 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

is  another  thing  to  tell  specifically  how  to  deliver  a  blow 
so  as  to  add  to  its  power. 

Instruction  for  retail  salespeople  has  run  in  an  un- 
organized way  for  a  number  of  years.  This  is  usually 
in  the  form  of  an  instruction  book  giving  the  rules  of  the 
store,  general  conduct,  regulations  for  the  employee  on 
duty,  and  sometimes  a  few  elementary  principles  of 
salesmanship.  Today  there  are  an  increasing  number  of 
stores  conducting  live  schools  for  their  salespeople,  and 
of  these  schools  that  for  the  Wanamaker  sales  force 
is  typical,  being  designed  for  all  employees  of  the 
institution  whom  a  knowledge  of  selling  will  benefit. 
The  underlying  principles  of  selling  are  impressed  upon 
the  employee  student  and  the  particular  features  of  the 
store  as  a  selling  organization  strongly  dwelt  upon. 

These  examples  show  that  scientific  training  is  fast 
becoming  recognized  as  the  only  sure  means  of  increasing 
the  efficiency  of  the  sales  force,  whatever  the  numerical 
strength  of  that  force  may  be.  The  successful  sales  man- 
agers have  always  been  those  who  could  tell  the  "how" 
and  the  "why"  of  salesmanship.  It  is  not  difficult  to  call 
the  other  kind  of  sales  manager  to  mind — the  kind  of 
man  who  says  to  the  salesman  about  to  take  his  first  trip, 
"You  will  meet  difficulties  in  selling  our  line,  but  you 
must  work  out  your  own  salvation.  Now,  there's  Morse, 
for  instance.  Morse's  sales  last  week  were  some  twenty 
thousand — and  his  expense  book,  by  the  way,  was  low, 
very  low, ' '  and  so  on.  Contrast  him  with  the  sales  man- 
ager who  has  the  details  of  the  field  at  his  fingers'  ends, 
who  recognizes  intuitively  what  each  man  under  him 
needs  and  supplies  that  need.  This  manager  has  the 
methods  of  science;  and  unscientific  ways  must  always 
go  down  before  scientific  methods. 

So  it  is  that  history  accomplishes  its  eternal  repetition. 


SALES    SCHOOLING 153 

Each  science  passes  through  stages  of  formation  and 
growth,  always  starting  as  unclassified  knowledge,  which 
later  gives  way  to  systematic  classification  and  logical  ar- 
rangement. The  methods  of  science  are  efficient  because 
they  are  natural,  and  the  methods  of  nature  are  the  ones 
that  win. 


GET  closer  to  the  retailer — that  is  the  constant  aim  of 
the  wholesaler  and  the  manufacturer.  To  learn  his  diffi- 
culties and  help  him  master  them;  to  see  with  him  his  oppor- 
tunities and  help  him  take  advantage  of  them;  to  help  him 
build  new  business  where  it  had  not  existed  before.  In  short, 
to  construct,  between  house  and  dealer,  this  connecting  link 
called  cooperation  and  to  compel  the  dealer  to  feel  that  in  this 
cooperation  lies  his  own  success. 

And  these  negotiations,  which  should  lead  ultimately  to  the 
enrollment  of  the  dealer  as  a  regular  buyer,  can  be  conducted 
best  through  but  one  medium,  the  ambassador  of  business — 
the  traveling  salesman.  He  learns  first-hand  the  condition 
of  the  dealer's  business,  his  needs,  his  specific  trade  troubles. 
Knowing  these  he  is  in  a  position  to  assume  the  role  of  a 
business  doctor  and  prescribe  for  the  retailer' s  ills.  In  fact, 
the  salesman  who  sells  long  to  the  general  trade,  is  not  only  a 
salesman,  but  he  becomes  virtually  a  retailer  as  well.  He 
may  never  have  taken  an  inventory  or  sold  a  dollar's  worth 
of  merchandise  to  the  consumer,  but  he  understands  the  game 
and  he  understands  it  from  the  retailer's  standpoint. 

—William  F.  Hypes 

Sales  Manager.  Marshall  Field  and  Company 


XVIII 
PERSONALITY  IN  SELLING 

By  Alexander  H.  Re  veil 
President,  A.  H.  Revell  and  Company 

WHEN  you  want  a  thing  badly,  talk  to  your  man 
face  to  face.  Look  him.  in  the  eye  and  tell  him 
what  you  want  and  why  you  want  it.  And  do  it  at  an 
opportune  time.  To  attract  and  to  hold  the  attention  of 
your  listener  is  the  first  qualification  of  a  man  who  is 
presenting  a  business  proposition. 

I  believe  that  personality  is  largely  a  matter  of  culti- 
vation. A  man  may  have  certain  abilities  and  char- 
acteristics which  are  useless  because  he  has  not  trained 
them  to  work  for  him.  From  a  business  standpoint  per- 
sonality may  be  analyzed  into  units,  and  each  unit  de- 
veloped. Any  man  who  can  train  one  of  his  character- 
istics— and  few  of  us  can  not — can  train  the  others,  and 
the  same  principles  that  apply  to  one  apply  to  all. 

Some  people  complain  that  recipes  for  the  cultivation 
of  personality — like  recipes  for  success — include  gen- 
eralities. But  generalities  are  exactly  what  the  recipe 
calls  for.  Apply  generalities  to  your  own  specific  case 
and  you  will  get  results.  To  resolve  personality — in  a 
business  sense — into  component  parts,  I  should  name : 

Knowledge  of  business. 

Dress. 

Tact. 

Enthusiasm. 


PERSONALITY    IN    SELLING 155 

Under  tact  I  include  intelligence,  reserve,  and  all  other 
qualities  that  enable  a  man  to  adapt  himself  to  circum- 
stances. From  the  moment  a  man  enters  the  office  until 
he  closes  the  door  at  leave-taking,  tact  is  winning  or 
losing  for  him.  He  may  not  know  it — his  listener  may 
not  know  it.  Tact  would  defeat  its  own  purpose  if  it 
appeared  to  be  conscious  of  itself. 

To  be  most  effective,  tact  should  be  used  before  the 
interview  is  secured.  The  man  with  a  business  proposi- 
tion should  have  a  definite  line  of  procedure  mapped 
out  before  he  sees  his  man.  His  line  of  argument  must 
be  based  upon  a  knowledge  of  the  man  and  of  his  busi- 
ness in  relation  to  the  interviewer's  own  proposition. 

MAKE  close  connections  ivith  the  interests  of  your 
prospect  by  analyzing  points  which  enable  you  to 
use  to  advantage  his  first  negative  attitude. 

The  first  aim  in  every  proposition  is  to  make  close 
connections  with  the  interests  of  the  man  you  approach 
and  to  make  them  quickly.  At  first  his  mental  attitude 
toward  you  is  negative,  or  at  least  indifferent.  You  must 
make  this  negative  a  positive  in  your  favor. 

In  reality  the  man  you  approach  has  the  superior  posi- 
tion, because  you  are  coming  to  him.  Reverse  this  rela- 
tion. You  can  do  much  to  make  this  man  come  to  you 
if  you  know  enough  about  him.  You  must  show  him 
that  you  have  come  to  offer  an  opportunity  and  not  to 
ask  a  favor.  It  is  sometimes  possible  to  ask  nothing  at 
all,  but  merely  to  state  your  proposition  and  then  set 
yourself  to  answering  objections  and  setting  forth  the 
advantages  that  you  believe  will  appeal  to  a  man  in  his 
position. 

Go  into  a  man 's  office  with  something  to  say.  Say  it — 
and  then  stop.  Beginning  before  you  know  what  you 


156 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

want  to  say,  and  keeping  on  after  you  have  said  it,  is 
losing  both  for  your  time  and  your  proposition.  Talk 
just  enough  to  keep  the  conversation  alive  and  no  more. 
Make  your  sentences  in  the  office  the  shortest  possible 
distance  between  two  facts.  Remember  that  when  a 
man 's  listening  he  is  not  telling  on  himself,  but  flattering 
the  man  who  is. 

It  does  not  take  talk  in  quantity  to  impress  your 
listener  that  you  know  your  business.  It  is  the  quality 
of  talk  that  counts.  When  a  man  knows  what  he  is 
doing,  he  doesn  't  have  to  explain  to  people  that  he  knows. 
It  is  not  what  a  man  knows,  but  what  he  thinks  he 
knows,  that  makes  him  talk  too  much.  Do  not  grovel 
for  business;  you  lower  yourself  and  give  your  listener 
the  whip  hand.  But  don 't  stand  so  high  on  your  dignity 
that  you  can't  see  your  listener  when  he's  reaching  for 
you.  Remember,  that  "a  real  salesman  is  one  part  talk 
and  nine  parts  judgment ;  and  he  uses  the  nine  parts  of 
judgment  to  tell  when  to  use  the  one  part  talk."  Be 
straightforward  in  your  manner.  Frankness  begets 
frankness.  Many  otherwise  honest  men  talk  in  a  dis- 
honest way  merely  because  they  think  -they  are  meeting 
the  dishonesty  of  the  other  fellow.  Make  a  man  honest 
with  you  by  being  honest  with  him,  but  under  no  cir- 
cumstances let  him  make  you  dishonest. 

Stick  close  to  your  subject.  Most  men  are  busy  and 
have  other  propositions  to  consider  besides  yours.  If  you 
know  your  man,  and  the  opportunity  offers,  it  is  wise 
occasionally  to  digress  with  a  personal  remark  or  an 
anecdote.  Some  of  the  enthusiasm  he  feels  while  talking 
on  a  pet  theme  may  be  deflected  your  way,  and  may  help 
you  to  win  his  interested  attention.  But  you  should 
assume  that  your  listener  is  more  interested  in  making 
money  from  you  than  in  making  a  companion  of  you. 


PERSONALITY     IN    SELLING 157 

Enthusiasm  is  the  proof  that  a  man  believes  in  himself. 
And  the  man  who  believes  in  himself  is  the  man  who 
makes  others  believe  in  him.  Enthusiasm  is  the  proof 
that  a  man  really  believes  he  has  something  to  offer — 
something  that  will  help  his  hearer  and  himself.  En- 
thusiasm attracts.  It  is  contagious,  and  when  backed  up 
with  business  knowledge,  it  convinces.  As  Emerson  says, 
1 1  Nothing  great  was  ever  achieved  without  enthusiasm. ' ' 

A  special  knowledge  of  a  man's  business  is  the  most 
direct  way  to  hold  his  interest.  Such  a  knowledge  shows 
him  that  you  are  in  a  position  to  talk  intelligently,  and 
is  a  stepping  stone  to  his  confidence. 

A  man  who  goes  into  an  office  should  know  something 
of  the  aims  and  methods  of  the  man  behind  the  desk. 
He  must  be  able  to  consider  the  proposition  from  his 
viewpoint,  to  understand  his  attitude  toward  his  own 
business  and  toward  his  competitors.  Then  when  he 
talks  you  will  be  better  able  to  interest  his  motives,  to 
find  out  why  he  takes  the  course  he  does,  and  to  dis- 
cover how  you  may  deflect  this  course  to  your  advantage. 

YOU  can  not  discover  a  man's  thoughts  and  feelings 
until  he  begins  talking  and  to  get  him  talking  you 
use  knowledge  selected  from  definite  sources. 

You  can  not  find  out  a  man's  attitude  until  you  get 
him  to  talk,  and  you  can  not  get  him  to  talk  until  you 
show  him  that  you  have  a  definite  idea  of  the  value  of 
your  proposition  to  his  business.  If  your  knowledge 
of  his  affairs  is  accurate,  you  can  make  statements  that 
will  lead  him  to  ask  questions.  At  this  point  you  are 
making  progress,  for  you  are  given  an  opportunity  to 
know  his  objections  and  to  repel  attacks  on  the  validity 
of  your  arguments. 

To  make  a  man  ask  the  questions  you  want  him  to  ask 


158 DEVELOPING     SALESMANSHIP 

is  a  triumph.  When  you  have  fairly  answered  a  man's 
objections  you  have  taken  the  ground  from  under  his 
feet,  and  placed  it  under  your  own.  Notice,  also,  how 
much  stronger  your  point  is  if  you  can  induce  the  man 
to  make  the  objection  you  are  waiting  to  answer,  instead 
of  forcing  you  to  answer  the  objection  before  it  is  made. 

A  half-knowledge  of  your  subject  is  better  than  no 
knowledge,  but  it  is  often  the  other  half  that  you  want 
the  most.  What  you  know  weighs  a  pound  and  what 
the  other  fellow  knows  weighs  two.  And  it  generally 
takes  coaxing  to  make  them  balance. 

A  man  who  enters  a  business  office  to  present  a  propo- 
sition is  generally  sized  up  at  a  glance.  And,  excepting 
his  face  and  hands,  his  clothes  are  about  the  only  points 
the  observer  has  to  figure  on  until  he  begins  to  talk.  The 
"apparel  oft  proclaims  the  man,"  and  the  saner  his 
dress,  the  saner  its  wearer  is  likely  to  be  and  the  more 
confidence  he  will  inspire.  A  man's  clothes  go  a  long 
way  toward  helping  the  people  he  meets  to  classify  him. 
This  classification  may  be  unconscious.  At  first  glance 
you  may  not  figure  out  that  because  a  man  wears  a  black 
frock  coat,  straw  hat  and  a  checkered  shirt,  he  does  not 
know  his  business.  The  chances  are  he  has  not  learned 
to  adjust  himself  to  his  environment.  And  a  man  who 
<?an  not  adjust  himself  is  seldom  a  good  business  man. 
I  once  heard  a  college  president  say  that  a  gentleman 
never  dresses  to  attract  attention.  And  the  salesman 
who  calls  attention  to  his  clothes  is  generally  distracting 
attention  from  the  man  inside  them. 

I  know  a  man  who  always  dressed  so  faultlessly  that  it 
took  him  a  long  time  and  cost  him  a  lot  of  money  to  get 
a  job.  Nobody  thought  they  could  afford  to  pay  him  the 
salary  his  clothes  demanded.  And  I  know  men  who  have 
ability,  but  are  so  thoughtless  about  their  appearance 


PERSONALITY     IN    SELLING 159 

that  employers  have  no  confidence  in  their  carefulness  or 
taste. 

A  man  who  enters  the  office  with  a  sack  coat  on  his 
back,  a  silk  hat  on  his  head  and  a  cigar  in  his  mouth,  is 
not  a  normal  man.  He  hasn  't  observed  the  fundamentals 
of  dress.  The  chances  are  that  he  has  not  associated  with 
men  who  have.  A  man  is  known  by  the  company  he 
keeps,  and  his  clothes  reflect  the  tastes  of  his  friends. 
A  salesman  who  has  not  associated  in  business  with  peo- 
ple of  the  caliber  of  the  man  to  whom  he  is  offering  a 
proposition  can  not  be  assumed  able  to  place  himself 
in  the  other's  position  and  see  the  situation  from  his 
viewpoint.  It  is  the  normal  dress  that  proclaims  the 
normal  man.  And  he  is  the  safest  kind  to  handle  a  busi- 
ness proposition. 

A  business  man  is  inclined  to  listen  to  some  one  who 
appears  to  be  prosperous.  It  gives  him  confidence  in 
his  abilities.  But  prosperity  is  more  often  shown  in  neat- 
ness than  in  style.  When  one  man  out  of  ten  estimates 
a  man's  character  by  his  clothes,  it  is  just  as  well  to  put 
up  a  good  appearance.  Appearances  are  deceitful,  but 
the  man  who  makes  them  count  for  him  instead  of  against 
him  is  the  man  who  can  show  the  bright  side  of  a  busi- 
ness proposition. 


HPHE  half-way  salesmen — those  who  do  their  work  listlessly 
•*•  or  incompletely — make  the  misanthropes  and  the  pessi- 
mists, because  the  character  of  the  work  they  do  makes  failure 
a  foregone  conclusion,  or  at  least  precludes  any  hope  of  marked 
success. 

—William  A.  Field 

Superintendent,  South  Chicago  Works,  Illinois  Steel  Company 


XIX 

USING  COOPERATION  TO 
BUILD  SALESPEOPLE 

By  Frank  M.  Low 
President,  Frank  M.  Low  and  Company 

YEARS  ago  a  young  man  selling  goods  over  the 
counter  in  a  small  New  England  city  was  taken 
with  the  "  in-business-f or-myself '  fever.  Personal  am- 
bition, originality  and  daring  spurred  his  energy.  He 
wanted  to  have  his  name  over  the  door  of  a  progressive 
establishment. 

He  discussed  the  matter  with  his  father,  who  had  him- 
self been  in  the  clothing  business.  The  older  man  was 
not  sanguine,  but  persuasion  finally  secured  a  loan  of 
three  thousand  dollars  with  which  to  finance  a  begin- 
ning. The  son  borrowed  the  money  on  a  strictly  busi- 
ness basis  and  gave  his  notes  to  his  father  as  to  a  bank. 

The  new  store  threw  open  its  doors  in  a  section  of  the 
city  now  chiefly  a  wholesale  center.  For  seven  years  it 
made  its  bid  for  customers;  and  then  its  young  owner 
sold  out. 

"I  tell  you  I  made  a  great  fortune  in  those  seven 
years,'*  he  says  as  he  recalls  the  experience.  "Not  in 
money — although  I  did  manage  to  pay  back  dollar  for 
dollar  what  I  had  borrowed  from  my  father — but  im 
experience.  When  I  closed  the  store  I  had  $3,700  to 
show  for  my  seven  years.  I  certainly  had  not  scored  # 
financial  success — but  I  had  found  the  cause  of  my  fail- 
ure. So  it  was  probably  worth  while  after  all. 


_  RETAIL    SELLING  _  161 

'  1  1  discovered  that  I  Had  not  been  sufficiently  progres- 
sive —  had  not  got  out  of  the  beaten  path.  I  don't  count 
that  period  a  part  of  my  real  business  career;  it  was 
a  sort  of  training  school.  My  father  had  been  the  chief 
instructor  and  his  advice  my  text  book,  though  I  fre- 
quently made  advances  on  my  own  ideas.  '  ' 

Armed  with  his  experience,  the  young  man  started  a 
new  store  and  the  real  years  of  business  building  began. 
The  father  advised  against  further  adventures  in  retail- 
ing, but  the  son  felt  that  the  '  *  training  '  '  years  had  made 
him  capable.  He  had  found  his  faults.  He  had  confi- 
dence that  he  could  step  again  into  the  arena  of  business 
and  win. 


NE  assistant  and  the  owner  opened  this  Portland 
store  in  a  cramped  room,  twenty-five  by  thirty  —  today 
there  are  twenty  salesmen  on  the  busy  floors. 

So  he  opened,  the  second  store  —  "a  single  cramped 
room,  twenty-five  by  thirty,"  he  describes  it,  "with 
some  clothing,  but  mostly  palms,  on  the  counters."  He 
had  spent  so  much  on  advertising  his  "grand  opening" 
that  there  was  not  enough  capital  left  to  put  in  a  suit- 
able stock.  The  owner  and  one  assistant  handled  the 
trade  that  opening  day;  today  twenty  men  are  on  the 
selling  floors.  This  remarkable  success  he  assigns  to 
personality.  He  is  a  man  who  has  that  rare  character- 
istic which  puts  personality  into  employees  and  even 
into  the  store. 

"Do  you  believe  that  personality  is  an  effective  part 
of  your  retailing  ?  "  a  business  friend  asked  him. 

"Believe  it  is?"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "Why  I  be- 
lieve it  is  the  key-stone  —  the  foremost  essential.  It  is 
the  element  that  puts  effective  life  into  an  organization 
and  holds  it  at  its  best.  It  secures  a  loyalty  from  the 


162 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

men  of  the  organization  which  insures  success.  It  secures 
the  confidence  of  customers  and  returns  for  it  satisfac- 
tion which  pulls  purchasers  to  you  much  as  a  magnet 
pulls  bits  of  steel. 

' '  Take  away  this  personal  interest,  and  there  probably 
would  be  lack  of  organization — of  efficient,  capable,  de- 
pendable organization — here  in  my  store  today.  I  have 
always  believed  in  young  men.  The  young  man  of  proper 
personality — there  it  is  again — can  best  be  turned  into 
the  particular  type  of  salesman  or  employee  required  by] 
your  business.  He  has  the  ability  to  fit  in  where  placed. 

"From  the  outset,  as  business  increased,  I  picked  my 
employees  carefully.  Having  found  the  right  man,  I 
made  it  my  business  to  give  him  as  much  personal  atten- 
tion as  possible ;  to  train  him  in  the  methods  which  ob- 
servation and  experience  have  taught  me  bring  best  re- 
sults. Knowlege  of  business  is  an  absolute  essential  to 
the  head  of  any  enterprise.  This  knowledge  of  business 
is  as  essential,  within  limits,  to  the  clerk  as  it  is  to  the 
man  in  the  chief  executive's  office.  No  employee  can 
know  too  much  about  the  business. 

"For  that  reason  I  make  it  a  point  to  encourage  each 
man 's  particular  bent.  I  urge  him  to  read  trade  papers 
and  business  magazines  and  invite  him  to  closely  study 
every  detail  of  my  business  methods.  Some  men  are 
afraid  their  employees  will  know  too  much  about  the 
business,  but  I  cannot  see  it  that  way.  The  more  my 
men  know  about  the  business  the  more  valuable  they  are 
tome." 

The  growth  of  his  business  forced  on  the  young  mer- 
chant the  problems  of  increased  floor  space  and  more 
employees,  but  he  clung  to  the  original  nucleus  of  his 
organization,  merely  expanding  it  to  meet  conditions. 
He  believed  in  personal  organization,  sound,  time-saving 


RETAIL    SELLING 163 

and  loyal.  He  cast  about  for  ways  and  means  to  stimu- 
late his  men  to  their  utmost  all  the  time.  He  desired  to 
prove  in  a  material  way — aside  from  mere  words— his 
appreciation  of  the  loyalty  and  energy  of  those  who  had 
stood  with  him.  Cooperation  came  almost  before  he 
knew  it. 

"My  success  was  small  compared  to  that  of  other 
great  enterprises,"  he  says.  "But  it  was  large  and  al- 
most world-encompassing  to  me,  and  it  was  a  source  of 
satisfaction  to  the  men  who  had  aided  me  with  constancy 
and  loyalty.  So  we  had  a  dinner  at  my  home.  My  four 
assistants — and  that  included  the  bundle  boy — were  my 
guests.  In  the  napkin  at  each  of  these  four  places  I  put 
a  ten-dollar  gold  piece. 

DINNER  at  the  Low  home  for  everybody  in  the  shop, 
including  the  bundle  boy,  and  ten  dollars  under  each 
napkin,  decided  this  successful  store  policy. 

1 '  That  dinner  brought  to  the  surface  such  marked  evi- 
dences of  mutual  interest  that  a  similar  gathering  at  the 
close  of  each  business  year  has  become  a  custom  with  me. 
At  the  end  of  the  second  year  I  had  seven  assistants  at 
my  table,  and  they  sat  down  to  dinner  with  their  wives 
and  'best  girls'  as  additional  guests.  And  I  was  able  to 
declare  a  larger  'dividend.'  The  following  year  I  gave 
a  little  celebration  at  a  suburban  park.  On  the  fourth 
anniversary  I  closed  the  store  and  took  the  entire  force — 
then  grown  to  ten — to  a  city  two  hundred  miles  away. 
There  I  gave  them  a  banquet  and  an  evening  at  the 
theatre.  The  fifth  'annual/  with  the  store  again  closed, 
included  an  excursion  to  a  Canadian  resort.  There  were 
twenty-four  in  that  party.  These  early  gatherings  are 
typical  of  those  we  have  every  year." 

The  retailer's  dividends  have  increased  from  year  to 


164 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

year  until  now  about  one  thousand  dollars  are  distrib- 
uted on  the  anniversary  days.  It  became  necessary  for 
him  to  allot  this  money  according  to  fixed  rules.  He  did 
not  want  to  base  each  man's  bonus  on  a  percentage  of 
sales,  because  he  did  not  like  to  tempt  his  salesmen  to 
force  stock  upon  customers. 

"I  do  not  want  a  single  customer  dissatisfied  in  any 
way,"  he  says.  "I  want  his  wishes,  and  not  the  wishes 
of  the  salesman,  to  control  the  transaction.  Therefore, 
I  now  give  employees  ten  dollars  for  each  year  they 
have  been  connected  with  me.  Those  who  have  been  in 
the  store  nine  years  receive  ninety  dollars  each  at  the 
dinner;  those  who  have  been  here  seven  years  receive 
seventy  dollars,  and  so  on.  I  give  my  manager  a  per- 
centage each  year  on  the  increase  shown.  It  is  but  right 
and  just  for  me  to  do  this  for  he  stood  at  my  elbow  dur- 
ing the  first  years  when  a  mis-step  might  have  invited 
failure.  At  the  opening  of  each  year  he  and  I  canvass 
conditions  and  plan  to  bend  every  effort  toward  securing 
a  volume  of  increase  upon  which  we  agree.  If  this  esti- 
mate is  realized,  or  whatever  may  be  the  advances  se- 
cured, he  receives  a  percentage  on  the  results. 

"And  the  result  of  this  profit-sharing  plan?"  he  was 
asked. 

* '  The  result  has  been  constant  loyalty  and  earnestness 
of  effort  from  every  member  of  my  organization.  Each 
man  holds  as  much  interest  in  my  success  as  if  he  owned 
the  business.  He  speaks  of  the  establishment  as  'our 
house/  He  champions  my  business  wherever  he  may 
be.  He  is  a  trusted,  dependable  friend,  as  well  as  a  paid 
employee. 

"I  firmly  believe  in  encouraging  the  employees  in  a 
way  that  counts.  Words  of  praise  may  be  all  right,  but 
it  is  better  to  add  some  tangible  proof  of  appreciation. 


RETAIL    SELLING 165 

for  talk  is  sometimes  cheap.  A  material  spur  develops 
an  individual.  It  germinates  ideas  and  fosters  personal- 
ity. It  holds  good  men  who  have  been  trained  by  experi- 
ence to  meet  most  effectively  the  exact  requirements  of 
the  business.  j 

"In  order  that  there  may  be  system  to  my  efforts,  I 
have  a  minimum  wage  rule.  I  start  every  man  who  joins 
me  at  ten  dollars  a  week.  Then,  as  he  merits  it,  I  allow 
salary  increases  once,  twice  or  even  three  times  a  year — 
in  fact,  just  as  often  as  the  raises  are  deserved.  I  want 
a  man  to  secure  an  increase  as  often  as  he  can. 

* '  But  if  he  does  not  earn  it  ? "  he  was  asked. 

"Then  I  don't  want  him  in  my  business,"  was  the 
quick  reply.  "A  man  who  can  not  show  that  he  deserves 
one  or  more  salary  increases  in  the  first  year  is  not  the 
man  for  me  in  my  business.  I  tell  him  so.  I  want  men 
of  individuality.  My  aim  has  been  to  secure  and  hold 
an  atmosphere  of  personality — personal  interest — in 
every  department  of  the  store.  A  business  establishment 
radiates  distinctiveness  and  personality  as  emphatically 
as  the  individual.  It  is  that  indescribable  something 
which  grips  the  customer  as  soon  as  he  enters  the  door 
and  causes  him  to  say  to  himself,  'I  want  to  buy  here.' 

LACK  of  interest  chills  you  the  minute  you  enter  some 
retail  stores — Low  tells  how  he  avoided  this  and  gave 
his  shop  an  atmosphere  of  cheerful  cooperation. 

{ l  You  have  gone  into  stores  where  at  the  door  yon  get 
an  impression  of  coldness  and  lack  of  interest.  That  is 
lack  of  personality.  It  points  the  absence  of  an  impor- 
tant element  that  makes  for  business  success.  I  don't 
mean  to  set  myself  up  as  a  dictator  of  business  maxims, ' ' 
he  added  hastily,  smiling,  ' '  but  am  merely  stating  things 
as  they  appear  to  me  from  actual  contact." 


166 


DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 


Enthusiasm  among  the  selling  force  is  kept  at  a  high 
pitch  all  the  time  in  this  store.  There  is  another  factor 
in  its  conduct  which  makes  for  unity  of  action  and  a 
reduction  of  friction  to  the  minimum.  The  owner  writes 
bulletins  at  intervals.  When  posted  on  a  board  out  of 
public  view  they  serve  to  keep  his  entire  force  "keyed 
up. ' '  They  also  form  a  sort  of  clearing  house  of  instruc- 
tion and  direction.  This  is  a  typical  bulletin : 


Low  believes  in 
contests  among  his 
salesmen.  The 
winners  are 
named  in  the  bul- 
letins and  receive 
attractive  prizes. 
The  salesmen  are 
organized  into  a 
club  which  meets 
frequently  to  dis- 
cuss selling  sub- 
jects. 


SALESMEN'S  BULLETIN  NO.  25:  The  shoe  contest 
for  the  month  of  May  was  won  "by  Mr.  Harrison, 
with  Mr.  Hendricks  a  close  second. 

Owing  to  the  Saturday  rush  of  work  in  the 
tailor  shop,    salesmen  will  not  promise  work 
to  "be  delivered  on  Friday  or  Saturday. 

Inside  prices  will  be  made  to  salesmen  on  all 
apparel  for  personal  wear,   "but  no  deviation 
or  discounts  will  "be  allowed  on  goods   intended 
for  relatives,   no  matter  how  close  of  kin. 

Salesmen  will  kindly  keep  their  Saturday 
supper  time  within  the  "bounds  of  thirty 
minutes. 

Make  up  your  minds  to  have  record  "breaking 
sales  "books  for  June  -  everybody  strive  for 
a  new  high  record. 


In  this  bulletin  the  retailer  sets  the  pace  toward  a 
definite  gain  and  urges  his  salesmen  to  profit  by  the 
current  trade  magazines: 


Low  talks  to 
his  salesmen 
through  bulletins. 
Here  he  uses  a 
straight- forward 
statement  of  the 
gain  he  expects, 
and  so  interests 
his  command  in 
keeping  busy  on 
the  main  floor. 


SALESMEN'S  BULLETIN  NO.  10:   It  is  important 
for  you  to  know  and  to  understand  that  this  is 
our  haying  season  -  that  this  is  the  time  of 
the  year  when  we  get  our  hay  in:  spend  every 
minute  you  can  from  7:30  A.  M.  to  6:30  P.  M. 
on  the  main  floor  making  hay,  looking  for  a 
customer,  and  don't  leave  the  floor  -  hang  to 
it,  and  leave  it  only  when  necessary.   I  am 
with  you  for  one  big,  long,  strong  pull, 
altogether  for  a  ten  per  cent  increase  in 
sales  this  year. 

Trade  magazines  of  all  kinds  are  on  Mr. 
Emerson's  desk  and  they  are  yours  for  the 
taking,  to  spend  an  evening  or  two  with,  and 
then  return  so  as  to  give  the  other  fellow 
a  chance. 


RETAIL    SELLING 167 

The  enthusiasm,  unity  of  effort,  earnestness  and  loy- 
alty which  cooperation  has  aroused  in  this  organization 
is  responsible  for  another  essential  to  good  retailing 
found  there — satisfying  the  customer.  That  this  is  the 


This  bulletin  to  SALESMEN'S  BULLETIN  NO.  18:     I.  want  to  take 

tJif  tnlfxtmon  in  n  this  opportunity  of  complimenting  you  all  on 

me  salesmen  in  a  the  lnterast  you  nave  taken  in  your  work>     It 

J\  6W    tLnglana,  ia  yery  gratifying  to  me  to  see  everybody    fill 

store     strengthens  kls  place  in  the  painstaking  manner  which 

n    rpmioit    fnr  in-  you  have  shown.      As  my  present   store  force 

a    request  jor  i  now  8tand8  I  wouid  not  desire  to  see  a  change 

creased    sales    by  Of  any  kind. 
promising  to  raise 

i»nnp<t     Thpiirritcr  Zt  i3  my  ambition  to  make  a  twenty  per  cent 

wages,  i  tie  writer  gain  this  year  &Qd  I  hope  w±th  your  intereat 

Jinas     his    profits  and  cooperation  to  he  able  to  do  so.      It  will 

are      benefited     if  require  work  on  our  part,  but  a  pull  altogether 

tipnrtn     <rnr>rpria  and  I   feel  that   it   can  be  accomplished,      To 

nearly     apprt^ia  &  conscientious  merchant  the  most  perplexing 

tion  IS  Shown  JOT  question  is  that  of  clerka.      To  have  you  all 

good  work.  feel  satisfied  is  no  mean  task  to  set  before  me. 
It   is  always  my  desire  to  advance  your  inter- 

By  telling  sales-  ests  with  my  own.     So  it  is  as  the  store  ad- 

people  the  goal  you  vances  every  man  here  wil1  advance. 

plan  to  reach,  you  March  is  considered  a  quiet  month,   but  when 

give  them  a  reason  we  pass  it,   beginning  with  Saturday,   April  5, 

fnr      dninn     tfid'r  everybody  in  my  employ    (with  the  exception 

JUT      t  rmy  of  the  fcUBhelllng  department)   will  receive 

oest.  an  advance  in  salary. 


aim  of  the  owner  of  this  store  is  shown  by  his  statement 
that  he  desires  "no  sale  forced  on  the  customers'  pocket- 
books — only  what  customers  really  desire  to  buy."  No 
attempt  is  made  to  force  goods  on  a  purchaser.  The 
buyer  who  purchases  a  ten  cent  collar  button  is  accorded 
the  same  patient,  careful  attention  which  meets  the  cus- 
tomer who  buys  a  fifty  dollar  overcoat. 

"To  secure  universal  satisfaction,"  says  the  owner, 
"we  let  each  customer  adjust  his  own  complaint.  If  he 
complains  that  a  garment  has  not  given  the  proper  wear, 
I  always  make  it  a  point  to  let  him  decide  what  he  wants 
us  to  do.  Sometimes  we  are  imposed  upon;  others  are 
too  modest  in  their  claims  and  under-estimate  what  should 
be  done  for  them.  This  method  may  cost  something,  but 


168 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

it  pays  much  more.  It  satisfies  the  customer  and  makes 
of  him  a  walking  advertisement  of  the  integrity  and  hon- 
esty of  my  store.  A  good  portion  of  my  business  growth 
has  been  possible  because  we  have  made  it  an  unvarying 
rule  from  the  start  to  endeavor  to  the  utmost  to  satisfy 
every  one  who  deals  with  us.  This  promotes  unques- 
tioned loyalty  among  my  buying  clientele.  Each  pur- 
chaser stands  on  the  same  plane.  There  is  no  discrimina- 
tion, no  favoritism.  I  make  one  price  to  all.  Formerly 
we  made  a  discount  to  the  clergy.  It  is  surprising  how 
rapidly  and  how  widely  reports  of  square  dealing  and 
attempts  at  fairness  to  all  circulate. 

LOW  goes  back  of  his  salesmen's  daily  work  in  the 
store,  back  even  of  their  home  life,  to  help  his  cus- 
tomers secure  satisfaction  and  cheerful  attention. 

"It  is  because  of  this  desire  to  secure  satisfaction  for 
my  customers  that  I  have  given  so  much  attention  to 
the  personality  of  my  sales  force.  I  want  my  men  to 
live  wisely.  I  encourage  them  to  save  their  money.  The 
little  bonus  we  divide  each  year  has  often  been  the  start- 
ing point  of  their  savings.  I  want  my  men  to  maintain 
good  habits.  I  laughingly  tell  them  that  I  will  do  the 
1  sporting'  for  the  firm  and  that  it  would  be  best  for  them 
to  attend  to  the  business.  And  they  do.  I  want  my  men 
to  succeed  and  feel  that  they  are  successes.  I  believe  I 
would  loan  any  one  of  them  money  to  start  in  business 
for  himself,  even  if  he  opened  his  establishment  next 
door  to  mine. 

"So  I  believe  personal  interest  has  been  an  important 
influence  in  building  up  my  organization.  This  is  busi- 
ness, shorn  possibly  of  some  selfishness.  It  is  good  busi- 
ness. For  satisfied,  contented  salesmen  invariably  make 
satisfied  and  contented  customers." 


RETAIL    SELLING 169* 

"And  I  get  satisfaction  for  the  store  along  with  the 
good  treatment  which  the  customers  receive.  Therefore,, 
I  keep  hammering  away  at  the  men's  personalities.  I 
buy  the  latest  books  on  the  market  about  merchandising 
and  salesmanship.  These  are  handed  from  man  to  man 
for  home  or  spare  time  reading.  As  each  man  finishes 
a  book;,  he  signs  his  name  on  the  fly  leaf.  When  it  gets 
back  to  the  office,  I  know  that  every  man  on  the  floor  is 
willing  to  go  on  record  in  black  and  white  as  having 
read  the  book.  I  would  very  much  rather  see  a  man 
reading  a  good  book  on  selling  during  moments  when  he 
has  nothing  to  keep  him  busy,  than  doing  a  good  many 
other  things  of  which  I  know.  Then  at  some  of  our 
meetings  we  talk  over  the  books  and  find  out  just  how" 
much  good  they  have  done  us. 

' '  But  you  sell  no  goods  yourself, ' '  was  suggested. 

"No,  I  haven't  sold  goods  on  the  floor  for  five  years," 
replied  the  merchant.  "I'll  tell  you  why.  Many  mer- 
chants— I  mean  the  smaller  retailers,  for  I  am  not  talking 
about  large  establishments  like  those  of  Marshall  Field 
or  John  Wanamaker — do  themselves  positive  harm  by 
sticking  too  long  to  the  duties  of  a  general  salesman. 
Their  old  customers  and  personal  friends  come  to  think 
that  they  can  only  satisfactorily  trade  with  them  and 
with  no  one  else.  This  is  the  case  whether  a  necktie  or 
a  collar  or  an  overcoat  is  wanted.  They  desire  to  have 
the  head  of  the  store  wait  on  them.  Before  he  knows  it, 
lie  is  doing  about  seven-eighths  of  the  selling  and  losing 
valuable  time  that  rightly  belongs  to  the  executive  end 
of  his  business.  He  probably  winds  up  a  nervous  wreck. 

"I  believe  in  a  sales  organization  capable  of  handling 
the  selling  of  goods  effectively,  and  one  so  dependable 
that  the  head  of  the  firm  need  not  be  with  it  every  mo- 
ment. I  know  it  is  difficult  to  break  a  practice  which 


170 DEVELOPING    SALESMANSHIP 

has  held  for  years.  I  found  it  hard  to  break  away  myself. 
Finally  I  took  every  personal  friend  or  old  customer  who 
asked  for  me  to  the  salesman  in  charge  of  the  particular 
department  sought.  This  actually  increased  my  trade, 
for  those  in  this  class  of  customers  soon  began  to  buy  of 
the  first  salesman  they  encountered  without  waiting  for 
me  or  leaving  the  store  if  I  was  absent  or  engaged.  It 
also  gave  the  salesmen  evidence  of  my  confidence  in  their 
•ability.  And  it  gave  me  more  time  for  executive  work." 


HPHE  merchant's  firm  name  is  the  foundation  for  his  pres- 
•"•  tige.  That  cannot  be  trade-marked;  but  indirectly  he  can 
make  it  an  even  greater  business  asset  than  a  trade-mark  by 
making  it  stand  for  service — quality  in  goods  and  accommo- 
dation. Service  will  be  the  trade-mark  giving  his  firm  name 
a  meaning. 

A  manufacturer,  wholesaler,  retailer,  can  so  impress  upon 
the  buying  public  the  actuality  of  efficient  service  he  gives  that 
his  name  and  fine  service  will  become  generally  synonymous. 

—Alexander  H.  Revell 

President.  A.  H.  Revell  &  Company 


PART  IV-BUILDING  UP 

ROAD  AND  RETAIL 

TRADE 

In  the  Customer's  Place 

PERSONALLY  I  do  not  like  to  buy  anything 
except  from  a  one-price  house,  with  the  price 
marked  on  the  goods. 

There  is  not  an  article  that  I  personally  may 
want  to  buy  but  that  the  dealer  in  it  is  expert 
and  keen  as  to  its  real  value.  The  average  lay- 
man in  the  very  nature  of  things  cannot  know 
these  values.  He  is  not  an  expert.  It  is  not  his 
special  business. 

Every  single  individual  consumer  practically  is 
in  my  exact  position.  Who,  let  me  ask,  is  the 
one  likely  to  get  stuck  in  a  horse  trade?  Will  it 
be  the  horse  dealer  or  the  average  purchaser? 

Business  men  are  more  and  more  "putting 
themselves  in  their  customers'  places"  and  trying 
to  treat  them  as  they  would  like  themselves  to  be 
treated,  were  conditions  reversed. 

That  is  the  Golden  Rule  of  business. 


HENRY  B.  JOY 

President,  Packard  Motor  Car  Company 


XX 

SELLING  FOR  FUTURE 
BUSINESS 

By   H.  Wentworth  James 

ONE  summer  a  wholesale  house  sent  a  new  salesman 
with  a  star  record  into  a  territory  that  had  pre- 
viously produced  only  a  fair  amount  of  business.  He 
said  he  knew  the  district  had  business  in  it,  and  that  he 
could  make  it  produce.  He  made  a  clean  sweep  of  the 
territory — booked  orders  in  rapid  succession ;  orders  from 
friendly  concerns,  orders  from  lukewarm  firms,  and  or- 
ders from  houses  which  had  previously  displayed  nothing 
but  set  hostility.  Day  by  day  his  orders  brought  glowing 
commendations  from  the  home  office,  and  not  only  praise 
but  more  substantial  recognition.  His  record  was  held 
up  before  the  other  salesmen  as  a  spur  to  greater  efforts. 

But  when  the  young  salesman  had  swung  around  his 
route  and  returned  home,  his  welcome  was  by  no  means 
as  enthusiastic  as  he  had  anticipated.  For  complaints 
had  preceded  him;  already  goods  were  being  returned; 
letters  were  reaching  the  firm  from  concerns  that  had 
a  multitude  of  grievances,  about  which  they  wrote  in  no 
measured  terms. 

The  salesman  had  gone  out  for  orders — orders  at  any 
price.  To  secure  these  orders  he  had  made,  either  by 
direct  promise  or  ingenious  inference,  promises  which 
were  directly  contrary  to  the  rules  of  the  house.  In  a 
word,  he  was  prepared  to  buy  business  if  he  could  not 


174 ROAD    AND     STORE    TRADE 

-obtain  it  by  legitimate  persuasion.  For  he  wanted  to 
make  a  record.  The  result  was  that  the  "clean  up"  of 
this  district  demanded  more  time  and  money  than  the 
business  was  worth,  to  say  nothing  of  the  grave  damage 
the  firm's  prestige  suffered.  This  "star"  salesman  is 
now  held  up  to  employees  as  a  bad  example. 

Salesmanship  does  not  begin  or  end  with  the  simple 
selling  of  an  article.  If  it  did,  good  salesmen  would  not 
be  so  scarce.  Many  factors  enter  into  a  real  sale.  Most 
important,  the  interests  of  the  salesman,  the  house  and 
the  buyer  should  be  identical. 

The  clear  cut  sale  will  have  a  good  come-back  for  every 
one.  It  will  give  the  buyer  satisfaction,  bring  the  seller 
a  profit,  and  become  an  asset  to  the  firm  as  a  puller  of 
future  business. 

v 

SELLING  for  the  future  and  for  re-orders  is  a  knack 
which  acts  for  your  sales  book  like  compound  interest 
does  for  a  bank  account — always  doing  good. 

There  is  a  constant  temptation,  especially  to  young 
.salesmen,  to  depart  from  this  principle.  It  is  hard  to 
lose  an  order  in  these  competitive  days ;  it  is  hard  to  be- 
lieve that  it  is  a  better  policy  to  sacrifice  orders  involving 
•questionable  promises  and  special  dispensations.  But 
this  is  the  truth,  and  the  first  class  salesman  knows  it, 
because  he  has  proved  it. 

A  salesman  with  an  office  appliance  was  asked  for  a 
guarantee,  and  in  his  anxiety  to  clinch  the  order  he  gave 
his  word  that  the  device  would  be  as  good  as  new  in  ten 
years '  time.  But  after  three  years  of  hard  service  it  had 
to  be  overhauled  and  repaired.  The  customer  refused  to 
pay  for  this  work  and  quoted  the  guarantee.  The  house 
ultimately  lost  the  business  of  the  firm  through  the  reck- 
lessness of  its  representative. 


SELLING    FOR    RE-ORDERS 175 

Not  the  least  necessity  existed  for  giving  this  extrava- 
gant assurance.  The  salesman,  had  he  possessed  good 
judgment,  would  have  demonstrated  the  durability  of 
his  appliance  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  customer  without 
departing  from  strict  accuracy.  And  if  he  had  done  so, 
the  salesman  and  the  house  would  have  secured  a  perma- 
nent account. 

Thousands  of  dollars  are  lost  annually  by  the  inexcus- 
able haste  of  the  salesmen  to  snatch  the  passing  profit, 
forgetful  of  the  costly  mortgage  which  they  give  on  the 
future.  There  are  many  firms  which  could  increase  sales 
if  they  would  prohibit  these  penny  wise  and  pound  fool- 
ish practices.  Orders  secured  by  rash  promises  are  not 
indications  of  prosperity,  but  menaces  to  future  pros- 
perity. 

No  business  factor  illustrates  this  fact  better  than  dis- 
count. It  is  human  nature  to  ask  for  a  larger  discount 
than  your  neighbors.  Many  a  salesman  has  * '  queered '  * 
himself  by  pandering  to  this  natural  desire.  The  price- 
cutter  carries  a  sharp  weapon,  but  often  ends  by  using 
it  until  he  has  slashed  the  ground  from  under  his  own 
feet. 

Suppose  Hamilton  buys  at  a  discount  of  ten  per  cent 
and  that  Andrews  (Hamilton's  neighbor)  drives  a  bet- 
ter bargain  and  obtains  fifteen.  It  is  almost  inevitable 
that  sooner  or  later  Hamilton  will  learn  that  Andrews 
has  secured  a  better  price.  Then  one  of  two  things  oc- 
curs. The  firm  will  probably  lose  Hamilton's  business; 
or  at  least  he  will  want  Andrews'  discount  on  future 
transactions. 

The  evil  of  the  practice  does  not  stop  there,  for  the 
discount  habit  is  like  the  vicious  use  of  morphine.  The 
buyer  who  has  been  content  with  fifteen  per  cent  will 
squeeze  next  time  for  an  extra  five,  or  an  equivalent.. 


176 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

The  man  of  experience  knows  that  the  list  price  is  flex- 
ible and  naturally  asks  himself  whether  he  has  exacted 
the  salesman 's  limit.  The  salesman  may  protest  that  the 
limit  has  been  reached,  but  why  should  he  be  believed? 

"I  dare  say  you'll  be  surprised,"  said  a  prospective 
customer  facing  this  situation,  "to  hear  that  Brown  and 
Black  are  quoting  me  fifteen  per  cent  discount  on  the 
same  article." 

"I  am  very  much  surprised,"  frankly  replied  the 
salesman.  "In  the  first  place  I  am  surprised  to  learn 
that  Brown  and  Black  can  produce  an  article  equal  to 
ours  and  secondly  I  am  surprised  that  they  haven 't  made 
you  a  better  offer. ' '  This  closed  the  price  discussion  and 
incidentally  closed  the  sale. 

Then  there  is  the  salesman  who  feels  it  necessary  to 
throw  in  some  extra  inducement  in  making  a  sale,  apart 
from  the  value  of  the  article.  Premiums  are  offered  and 
presents  made  to  influence  trade.  These  methods  are 
prohibited  by  the  better  class  of  houses.  The  true  sales- 
man bases  his  "talk"  on  the  merits  of  his  proposition; 
he  tries  to  sell  by  conviction  and  not  by  inducements  of 
uncertain  worth. 

RECORD  sales  were  secured  by  this  salesman  breaking 
in  a  new  territory,  but  a  competitor  who  followed  his 
route  profited  more  than  he  did  in  the  long  run. 

A  salesman  set  out  to  break  in  a  new  territory  for  a 
wholesale  china  house  and  landed  a  large  order  by  quot- 
ing a  special  discount  of  ten  per  cent  on  a  staple  line  of 
ware  that  sold  everywhere  at  $2.50.  The  price  on  staple 
china  is  so  uniform  that  the  purchaser  jumped  at  the 
chance  to  get  this  special  price  and  in  appreciation  placed 
an  order  for  additional  articles.  A  few  months  later  a 
salesman  for  a  rival  firm,  who  had  sold  this  purchaser  for 


SELLING    FOR    RE-ORDERS 177 

years,  refused  to  meet  the  cut  price.  "You  know  that 
the  standard  price  on  that  ware  is  $2.50,"  he  explained. 
"If  that  salesman  cut  ten  per  cent  off  this  staple  line, 
he  tacked  it.  onto  something  else  that  you  ordered.  We 
don't  do  business  that  way.  We  have  a  definite  profit 
that  we  add  to  every  line ;  we  make  the  same  price  to 
every  one  and  never  juggle  the  figures. ' ' 

The  purchaser  declined  to  give  him  an  order,  but  after 
thinking  it  over  for  a  day  or  two  was  convinced  that  the 
argument  was  logical.  He  decided  he  had  paid  that  ten 
per  cent  somewhere  in  the  bill.  Result?  The  cut  price 
salesman  never  secured  another  order.  His  rival  got  the 
business  thereafter  at  prices  he  refused  to  shave. 

The  price  bogey  is  forever  frightening  the  weak-kneed 
salesman,  while  for  the  efficient  man  it  has  few  terrors. 
He  understands  that  it  is  human  nature  to  want  con- 
cessions ;  he  expects  requests  for  special  prices  as  a  mat- 
ter of  form. 

The  spirit  of  salesmanship  cannot  be  measured  in  cas- 
ual figures.  A  "brilliant"  salesman  may  be  getting  his 
orders  at  the  cost  of  future  goodwill,  while  the  sound 
man,  with  a  far  less  showy  record  over  the  short  run, 
may  be  reaping  and  sowing  at  the  same  time. 

Every  successful  firm  has  decided  upon  a  policy  and 
laid  down  certain  rules  for  the  proper  conduct  of  busi- 
ness. These  houses  decide  what  concessions  may  be  given 
and  when;  what  guarantees  may  be  made  and  under 
what  circumstances.  The  principles  of  progressive  con- 
cerns are  alive  to  the  importance  of  giving  full  value  for 
every  dollar  received;  they  welcome  the  airing  of  the 
salesman's  troubles  and  endeavor  to  square  their  rules 
with  selling  conditions — when  possible  without  the  sacri- 
fice of  the  welfare  of  the  business. 

The  sound  salesman  is  in  perfect  agreement  with  these 


178 ROAD    AND     STORE    TRADE 

policies.  He  makes  friends  of  a  large  proportion  of  his 
customers,  and  his  personality  is  to  be  reckoned  with. 
He  does  well  for  himself  and  for  the  bouse. 

The  rough  edge  salesman  is  always  "up  against"  the 
policy  of  his  firm.  He  is  always  asking  for  rebates,  al- 
lowances, free  gifts,  and  concessions  of  every  kind.  His 
attitude  demonstrates  that  he  finds  it  difficult  to  sell  the 
goods  unless  he  offers  the  buyer  " special' '  inducements. 
He  may  sell  large  orders,  but  he  always  leaves  behind  a 
trail  of  bitterness  and  disillusion.  He  is  getting  the  busi- 
ness, but  he  is  getting  it  on  a  precariously  short  lease  and 
at  a  ruinous  price. 


HPHE  real  estate  salesman  occupies  a  delicate  middle  ground 
•*•  between  buyer  and  seller  and  must  govern  himself  by  well 
defined  obligations  to  both  sides  of  a  sale.  To  do  this  suc- 
cessfully with  a  commodity  which  has  no  definite  source  of 
supply  and  no  positive  market,  where  every  sale  means  the 
establishing  of  a  new  market  value  by  bringing  two  differing 
minds  to  meet,  the  broker  or  auctioneer  is  particularly  de- 
pendent on  system  and  information.  Inasmuch  as  values 
are  entirely  a  matter  of  opinion,  his  information  must  be  of 
such  a  character  that  it  will  help  to  make  accurate  decisions 
for  himself  and  to  create  sound  opinions  in  the  minds  of 
buyer  and  seller. 

— Joseph  P.  Day 

Former  President,  Real  Estate  Board  of  Brokers  of  New  York 


XXI 

CAPACITY  ORDERS  THAT  KEEP 
OUT  COMPETITION 

By  William  F.  Hypes 
Sales  Manager,  Marshall  Field  and  Company 

WHEN  a  salesman  has  secured  the  confidence  of  his 
customers,  when  he  feels  that  he  has  instilled 
the  cooperative  spirit  which  practically  makes  his  buyer 
permanent,  he  faces  another  problem.  It  is  no  longer 
simply  how  he  shall  secure  orders.  We  will  presume 
that  he  has  learned  that  by  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
man  and  ways  to  handle  him.  Neither  is  it  purely  a  ques- 
tion of  selling  more  goods.  That  end  he  has  reached  by 
aiding  the  retailer  to  build  up  his  market  and  move 
goods  more  rapidly.  He  now  wishes  to  accomplish  an- 
other object — to  sell  the  dealer  so  closely  to  the  limit  of 
his  needs  that  his  demands  will  be  completely  provided 
for  until  the  next  visit. 

In  a  Chicago  garage  which  is  made  the  starting  place 
for  many  popular  automobile  runs  to  neighboring  cities, 
there  is  a  bulletin  board  of  routes  and  distances.  To 
this  extent,  I  presume  that  the  board  is  not  unlike  others. 
But  this  board  goes  one  step  further,  for  after  the  dis- 
tance figures  it  gives  the  amount  of  gasoline  required  for 
the  run  in  a  forty  horse  power  car.  The  bulletins  read 
like  this :  Joliet  and  return,  80  miles,  7  gallons.  South 
Bend  and  return,  226  miles,  19  gallons.  Milwaukee  and 
return,  180  miles,  15  gallons. 

This  board  serves  two  purposes.    First,  it  guards  the 


180 ROAD    AND    STORE   TRADE 

owner  of  the  machine  against  running  out  of  fuel.  Sec- 
ondly, and  more  important  to  the  proprietor  of  the  gar- 
age, it  helps  him  to  sell  all  the  gasoline  that  the  ma- 
chine can  possibly  use  on  the  trip. 

Place  the  salesman's  problem  on  the  same  basis.  His 
aim  is  to  sell  the  dealer  all  the  goods  he  will  possibly 
need  until  the  next  call.  How  shall  he  do  it?  By  learn- 
ing first  of  all  the  extent  of  that  need.  He  must  exercise 
his  salesmanship  in  supplying  it,  but  without  knowledge 
of  its  extent  he  will  have  no  opening  for  his  skill.  How 
shall  he  gain  the  information? 

SOLVING  the  problem  of  how  to  anticipate  rivals  and 
sell  all  the  dealer  will  need  until  your  next  call  will  be 
easier  if  you  study  these  situations. 

The  garage  proprietor  has  a  simple  task.  He  knows 
that  the  average  forty  horse  power  machine  runs  approx- 
imately twelve  miles  on  a  gallon  of  gasoline.  The  rest  is 
purely  a  matter  of  multiplication.  But  the  salesman's 
problem  is  one  of  endless  complications.  No  two  cus- 
tomers are  exactly  alike,  no  two  stores  carry  exactly  the 
same  stock,  in  no  two  towns  are  buying  conditions  exactly 
parallel. 

The  salesman  must  study  particular  situations.  He 
should  know  his  buyer.  He  can  observe  also  conditions 
of  trade  in  his  past  orders  and  information  obtained  by 
questioning  his  customer — what  goods  show  a  strong  local 
demand  and  what  goods  move  slowly,  what  occupations 
or  climatic  conditions  or  nationalities  determine  local 
sales. 

During  a  salesman's  first  visits  to  a  customer,  he  can 
profitably  take  notes  on  the  store  and  question  the  pro- 
prietor on  the  results  of  the  special  or  seasonal  sales  ^he 
has  held  and  the  present  condition  of  his  stock.  Supple- 


KEEPING    OUT    COMPETITION 181 

mented  by  a  duplicate  file  of  orders,  these  notes  will  soon 
enable  you  to  form  a  fairly  accurate  idea  of  the  mer- 
chant's buying  capacity. 

In  time  the  salesman  understands  so  perfectly  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  each  customer  that  he  knows  as  well  as 
the  dealer  himself  what  the  store  should  need.  I  have 
known  salesmen  who  could  glance  over  their  list  of  cus- 
tomers before  starting  on  regular  routes  and  predict 
almost  to  an  item  their  orders. 

"There's  Collins  at  Brighton, "  one  of  them  would  say, 
"keen  as  you'll  find  'em;  not  long  on  talk,  but  knows 
his  business,  every  item  of  it.  He 's  been  cleaning  up  his 
china  stock  on  special  sales  and  will  be  ready  for  a  big 
order.  He's  getting  low  on  enamel  ware  too  and  will  be 
wanting  to  fill  out  his  stock.  Brighton  is  a  college  town 
and  Collins  will  want  to  put  in  his  annual  supply  of 
students'  goods — pillows  and  pillow  tops,  pennants,  post- 
ers and  college  novelties."  He  could  enumerate  Collins' 
detailed  needs. 

Though  this  intimate  knowledge  of  buyers'  needs  is 
valuable,  it  does  not  sell  the  goods — it  serves  only  to 
post  the  salesman  on  the  possible  market  open.  He  has 
learned  the  total  wants  of  his  customer.  If  he  is  able  to 
fill  them  he  can  place  with  the  retailer  a  stock  sufficient 
to  meet  all  demands  until  he  comes  again — he  can  shut 
out  competition. 

At  this  point  the  salesman  must  constantly  guard  him- 
self against  a  dangerous  temptation — the  temptation  to 
oversell.  Nothing  so  injures  a  house  or  a  salesman  with 
the  retailer  as  loading  him  up  with  goods  that  he  cannot 
move  readily.  Every  merchant  wants  to  keep  his  stock 
fresh,  to  turn  it  frequently.  The  article  that  goes 
through  two  annual  inventories  is  pretty  sure  to  get  a 
black  mark  in  the  merchant's  mind  against  the  house 


182 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

that  sold  it.  The  salesman  should  strike  a  balance  and 
reach  the  always  desirable  happy  medium.  He  should 
strive  to  sell  enough  to  keep  out  competitors  and  yet  not 
overstock.  Knowing  his  buyer's  needs  before  he  ap- 
proaches him,  the  salesman  is  in  a  position  to  make  the 
bulk  of  the  order  taking  comparatively  easy.  He  is  deal- 
ing with  an  old  customer ;  he  often  asks  only  about  quan- 
tity. He  offers  a  suggestion  here,  a  bit  of  advice  there, 
calls  the  dealer's  attention  to  a  new  line  or  novelty.  He 
possibly  adds  a  dozen  or  so  to  some*  orders  on  the 
buyer's  second  thoughts,  and  the  ordering  is  completed. 
But  a  salesman  who  is  seeking  to  sell  to  the  limit  of 
a  buyer's  needs  knows  that  odds  and  ends  have  been 
missed,  that  minor  goods  have  been  forgotten,  that  there 
are  little  shortages  here  and  there,  besides  the  want 
book's  testimony.  This  salesman  turns  to  the  catalog 
index  and  with  the  dealer  beside  him,  runs  through  it 
item  by  item  from  "aprons,"  "art  goods"  and  "as- 
bestos" to  "yarns"  and  "yeast  cakes." 

RUNNING  over  the  dealer's  stock  from  "aprons"  to 
"yeast  cakes"  is  only  one  way  of  frequently  doubling 
the  order  placed  in  the  hotel  sample  room. 

Time  after  time  the  mere  mention  of  an  article  recalls 
a  need  to  the  merchant 's  mind  or  suggests  investigations 
which  reveal  an  unexpected  shortage.  I  have  known 
salesmen  to  take  in  this  manner,  orders  which  totaled 
nearly  as  much  as  the  original  bill  sold  in  the  hotel 
sample  room.  They  supplied  wants  which,  left  unfilled, 
would  have  meant  an  opening  for  a  competitor's  initial 
order.  It  should  be  the  salesman's  constant  aim  to  in- 
spire in  the  customer  real  confidence  in  his  house.  The 
retailer  should  be  assured  that  whatever  his  needs,  the 
house  will  see  that  he  is  looked  after. 


KEEPING    OUT    COMPETITION 183 

To  insure  this  dependency  of  the  dealer  upon  his  regu- 
lar source  of  supply,  the  salesman  can  well  keep  in  touch 
with  his  customer  between  calls.  He  may  learn  in  this 
way  that  the  representative  of  a  competitor,  carrying 
samples  of  a  new  line  of  goods,  is  covering  the  same  route 
and  will  get  to  the  customer  a  week  before  his  call. 
Recognizing  that  the  customer,  if  left  to  himself  in  the 
matter,  may  place  an  order  with  the  competitor,  as  the 
only  way  to  obtain  the  goods,  the  salesman  can  send  the 
dealer  a  letter.  He  may  write : 


One  salesman 

tend*  /A*«  Id  Before  I  can  get  to  see  you,   you  will  proba- 

!  ~  •*•  bly  be  urged  to  place  your  order  for  a  line  of 

ter    to    steady  pongee  silk  which  promises  to  be  extensively  worn 

customers  this  season.      I  cannot  urge  you  too  strongly  to 

»,3>i>n    n'li/i/o  delay  your  buying  until  you  have  seen  the  samples 

when   rivals  j.  8hall  bring  you  on  the  25th 

carry    new 

lines  into  his  We  are  filling  every  demand  of  our  customers 

f/xrWf/vrif    Jur  f°r  styles  in  these  goods,   and  you  can  depend  on 

territory   a\  us  taking  care  of  you 

^ng  his  absence 


There  is  one  more  point  which  no  salesman  can  afford 
to  overlook  in  handling  his  customer.  He  should  be  sure 
that  every  order  he  takes  can  be  delivered.  It  is  a  com- 
paratively short  and  simple  task  for  a  salesman  to  check 
up  his  "outs"  every  day,  but  failure  to  do  it  has  cost 
many  a  man  the  confidence  of  a  customer.  When  an 
order  has  been  given  in  good  faith,  a  partly  filled  bill 
with  appended  excuses  in  return  warns  the  merchant 
against  placing  absolute  dependence  on  a  single  house. 
The  fault  is  usually  the  salesman's,  if  he  sold  merchan- 
dise which  had  been  called  "off  sale." 

A  salesman  for  a  Chicago  house  had  been  trying  for 
two  years  to  sell  an  initial  bill  of  goods  to  a  merchant 
at  Cedar  Rapids.  He  had  failed  to  land  the  order  be- 
cause the  dealer  was  buying  almost  exclusively  from  a 


184 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

rival  concern.  It  was  a  clear  case  of  dependence  on  a 
single  source  of  supply.  One  day  the  Chicago  man  found 
himself  due  for  a  three  hour  wait  in  Cedar  Rapids  and 
dropped  around,  largely  as  matter  of  habit,  to  see  the 
long  standing  prospect.  His  surprise  knew  no  bounds 
when  the  retailer  called  him  into  the  office  and  gave  him 
a  large  order. 

"Five  days  ago,"  said  the  dealer,  when  the  salesman 
had  it  all  down,  "I  gave  that  same  order  to  your  rival 
on  his  word  that  it  could  all  be  delivered  this  morning. 
Instead  I  get  a  wire  that  three  items  I  had  depended  on 
for  today 's  trade  are  out  of  stock.  I  cancelled  the  whole 
bill  by  wire. ' ' 

This  single  mistake  lost  the  house  a  good  customer. 
Let  the  salesman  be  perfectly  frank  in  telling  the  dealer 
that  certain  goods  are  at  the  time  unavailable.  Another 
strand  in  the  bond  of  cooperation  which  benefits  both 
buyer  and  seller  will  result, 


TN  ITS  best  and   broadest   sense,  merchandizing   success 

means  development  for  service. 

And  this  development  for  service  in  the  world  of  selling  is 
dependent  upon  the  control  of  the  powers  within  us,  upon  the 
systematic  application  of  our  abilities  and  our  energies. 

Our  energies  may  be  wasted  and  our  genius  misdirected  un- 
less we  can  guide  them  to  definite  ends,  unless  we  can  use  our 
forces  to  get  specific  results. 

—John  V.  Farwell 

Founder,  John  V.  Farwell  Company 


XXII 
HOW  TO  SELL  SPECIALTIES 

By  A.  L.  McBain 

TRAVELING  salesmen  may  be  broadly  divided  into 
two  classes :  those  who  sell  staples  and  those  who  sell 
specialties.     The  salesman  of  staples  has  opposition  in 
front  of  him  that  is  both  harder  and  easier  than  the  spe- 
cialty salesman's  obstacles. 

The  specialty  salesman  usually  handles  a  product 
which  the  people  could  do  without.  In  case  of  hard 
times  the  luxuries — specialties — are  first  given  up.  In 
good  or  average  times  people  will  buy  a  large  percentage 
of  specialties  if  rightly  approached. 

But  at  any  time,  whether  prevailing  conditions  be 
those  of  plenty  or  not,  the  specialty  salesman  probably 
must  be  a  better  exponent  of  salesmanship  than  the  seller 
of  staples.  He  must  create  his  demand^ — not  cater  to  a 
demand  which  already  exists.  He  must  get  an  audience 
when  his  proposition  is  an  unknown  quantity  to  the  man 
he  wishes  to  see.  He  must  close  a  deal  for  something 
the  customer  knows  can  be  done  without. 

To  take  up  specifically  the  work  that  lies  before  a  man 
who  would  sell  the  specialty  trade,  the  steps  in  making 
a  sale  must  be  considered  in  their  regular  order.    These 
steps  are  as  follows: 
(   (1)     The  pre-approach. 

(2)     The  approach. 


186 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

(3)  The  demonstration. 

(4)  The  close. 

The  pre-approach  is  the  groundwork  upon  which  the 
salesman  builds.  It  comprises  all  the  information  ob- 
tainable by  him  that  will  be  of  importance  in  making 
his  approach.  There  is  really  no  information  about  a 
man  that  is  valueless  in  determining  the  method  by 
which  an  approach  should  be  made.  A  knowledge  of  one 
or  two  characteristics  of  the  man  to  be  approached,  on 
the  other  hand,  is  sometimes  sufficient,  the  ready  intui- 
tion of  the  salesman  being  relied  upon  for  the  rest. 

WHEN  the  prospect  keeps  you  waiting  outside  his 
office  door,  think  over  this  explanation  of  your 
situation  in  terms  of  pre-approach  and  approach. 

Between  the  pre-approach  and  the  actual  approach 
sometimes  lies  a  trying  time  for  the  salesman.  It  is  no 
uncommon  occurrence  for  a  prospective  customer  to  keep 
the  salesman  waiting,  either  outside  the  office  door  and 
out  of  sight,  or  inside  in  his  presence.  This  is  known  aa 
" breaking  the  salesman's  nerve. "  It  often  has  the 
effect  of  making  the  salesman  nervous  and  conse- 
quently unable  to  make  a  good  approach.  One  of  the 
most  common  forms  of  this  is  for  the  prospective  cus- 
tomer to  appear  busily  interested  in  something  and  allow 
the  salesman  to  stand  an  indefinite  length  of  time.  He 
then  turns  suddenly  upon  the  salesman.  This  is  espe- 
cially disconcerting  to  a  young  man,  but  the  experienced 
salesman  recognizes  it  as  an  indication  that  either  the 
man  is  extremely  busy  and  actually  hates  to  take  his 
mind  off  his  work,  or  that  he  is  afraid  of  being  talked 
into  something  that  he  will  later  regret.  The  wise  sales- 
man shapes  his  introduction  accordingly.  He  is  not  dis- 
concerted by  any  shammed  industry,  as  it  enables  him  to 


SPECIALTY    SELLING 187" 

study  carefully  the  outward  characteristics  of  the  pros- 
pect. 

The  pre-approach  ground  work  of  information  having 
been  secured,  the  approach  is  made.  By  many  it  is  be- 
lieved to  be  the  most  difficult  part  of  selling.  ' '  Give  me 
a  chance  to  make  a  good  approach  and  I  will  close  him 
off/'  is  a  stock  expression  with  many  expert  " closers. "' 
It  is  assumed  that  a  salesman  in  making  the  approach 
will  be  able  to  call  his  man  by  name,  pronouncing  the 
name  correctly.  This  is  a  prime  requisite  and  the  re- 
maining knowledge  can  be  grouped  about  this  in  the 
order  of  its  importance.  Traveling  men  will  call  to 
mind  a  familiar  scene — the  "drummer,"  his  note  book 
and  pencil  in  hand,  interviewing  the  hotel  clerk  to  find 
out  the  various  characteristics  of  the  man  whom  he  is  to 
call.  Some  men  like  to  trust  entirely  to  intuition  and 
believe  that  information  concerning  a  man  is  actually 
prejudicial.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  by  working  at 
some  time  on  misinformation  they  have  lost  a  sale. 

From  the  first  moment  of  the  approach,  the  salesman  's 
object  is  to  secure  a  fair  hearing  in  which  to  pave  the  way 
for  his  demonstration.  Two  factors — appearance  and  per- 
sonality— will  turn  the  tide  for  or  against  him. 

It  is  remarkable  that  nearly  every  authority  on  sales- 
manship places  these  two  factors  as  those  of  primary  im- 
portance at  this  stage.  Some  even  go  so  far  as  to  enumer- 
ate what  to  avoid:  unbrushed  clothes,  dirty  linen,  and 
unshined  shoes.  "Front"  has  this  disadvantage,  how- 
ever— it  is  used  by  the  fakir.  The  better  salesman  seeks 
not  the  unusual  in  dress,  but  the  quality  which  bespeaks, 
personality  and  worth. 

Personality  is  the  sum  total  of  one's  characteristics, 
and  works  strongly  for  or  against  the  salesman.  Person- 
ality may  or  may  not  be  cultivated.  The  trouble  about 


188 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

Cultivating  a  personality  is  that  too  many  people  do  not 
know  what  to  cultivate.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  a 
man  would  let  an  offensive  personality  stand  in  his  way 
if  he  recognized  it.  The  man  who  has  no  ear  for  music 
often  can  not  understand  his  deficiency.  There  are  those 
who  let  an  offensive  personality  dominate  them  to  an 
extent  that  precludes  the  cultivation  of  a  better. 

But  the  salesman  who  is  able  to  look  back  on  the 
various  steps  of  an  unsuccessful  attempt  and  ask  him- 
self, ' '  The  fault  was  mine ;  what  defect  in  my  personal- 
ity was  to  blame?"  and  self -analytical  enough  to  deter- 
mine where  he  is  short,  is  sure  to  improve. 

MOVE  by  move,  like  the  careful  chess  player's  plan 
for  his  game,  you  can  by  these  suggestions  block 
out  and  schedule  your  approach  to  the  prospect. 

The  procedure  of  the  salesman  when  he  is  making  his 
introduction  and  approach,  may  be  compared  to  the 
moves  in  a  game  of  chess.  The  introduction  of  the  sales- 
man is  the  first  move ;  the  reply  is  the  counter-move  of 
the  opponent.  Then  comes  the  second  move  of  the  first 
player — the  salesman — and  it  is  on  this  second  move 
that  the  entire  success  of  the  attempt  hangs.  On  it 
hinges  success  or  failure,  for  it  may  determine  whether 
the  salesman  is  going  to  have  an  interview,  whether  the 
interview  will  be  successful  or  not,  and  whether  or  not 
the  salesman  has  a  chance  of  landing  the  prospect. 

There  is  one  thing  certain.  The  customer  is  not  going 
to  commit  himself  in  response  to  the  first  remark.  He 
always  holds  a  reserve.  An  objection — either  express  or 
implied — can  be  expected.  It  may  vary  from  a  general 
"busy"  statement,  or  "not  interested"  in  what  is  about 
to  be  submitted,  or  it  may  be  a  specific  statement — even 
heated — that  the  one  approached  has  no  time  for  the 


SPECIALTY    SELLING 189 

salesman  or  his  house. 

Herbalists  hold  that  there  is  no  disease  or  poison  that 
can  not  be  cured  by  some  herb.  It  is  true  that  there  is 
hardly  an  objection  that  can  be  made  but  has  the  right 
answer.  If  the  salesman  does  not  instantly  know  what 
reply  to  make  it  is  for  him  to  look  for  that  answer,  to 
focus  his  education,  experience  and  intuition  on  securing 
it.  It  can  be  learned  and  under  similar  circumstances 
again  applied.  In  chess  there  is  no  move  without  a 
counter-move.  If  failure,  why  failure  ?  and  as  important, 
if  success,  why  success? 

The  third  step  in  making  a  sale  is  the  demonstration. 
It  is  here  that  the  ordinary  salesman  finds  himself  upon 
sure  ground.  He  has  judged  his  man  and  knows  his 
goods;  all  is  clear  sailing. 

One  of  the  old  time  salesmen,  who  sold  in  the  Middle 
West,  used  as  his  motto:  "I  am  here  to  do  you  good." 
He  did  not  make  his  statement  a  generality.  He  got 
down  to  the  vital  facts  which  touched  his  customer.  He 
demonstrated  them  to  him.  Personal  demonstrations  are 
the  kind  that  make  sales. 

Lincoln  learned  early  in  the  study  of  law  that  he  did 
not  know  what  it  was  to  prove  a  thing.  He  tussled  with 
the  problems  of  Euclid  until  he  satisfied  himself  that  he 
understood  absolutely  what  it  meant  to  prove  a  proposi- 
tion. 

The  salesman  who  determines  with  absolute  accuracy 
what  it  means  to  prove  a  proposition  and  to  apply  the 
general  principles  of  demonstration  to  an  immediate  mat- 
ter in  hand,  knows  how  far  to  go  in  making  his  demon- 
stration, what  to  include,  and  what  to  exclude.  He  can 
see  in  his  mind 's  eye  the  chain  of  evidence  he  is  fashion- 
ing and  will  make  it  exact,  logical  and  convincing. 
Exactness  is  needed  to  impart  knowledge  of  the  propo- 


190 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

-sition  to  the  listener ;  the  chain  of  demonstration  must  be 
logical  if  it  is  to  lead  from  known  facts  to  the  conclusion 
which  it  is  desired  to  establish.  Exactness  of  statement 
in  logical  order  can  lead  to  but  one  result — conviction 
for  the  hearer. 

A  frequent  demonstration  mistake  is  not  completely 
proving  what  you  set  out  to  prove.  The  demonstration 
must  be  shortened  as  much  as  possible,  for  time  is  usu- 
ally a  valuable  element.  It  must  not,  however,  be  cut 
so  short  that  the  prospect  will  not  thoroughly  follow  the 
demonstration.  Often  some  simple  connection  in  the 
various  links  will  be  slurred  over  because  of  its  sim- 
plicity to  the  demonstrator,  and  the  entire  effect  lost, 
For  instance,  in  the  explanation  of  the  working  draw- 
ings, it  is  often  difficult  for  the  prospect  to  understand 
facts  which  appear  elementary  to  the  salesman. 

"TAEMONSTRATIONS  are  more  successful  if  made 
jL-J  according  to  this  plan,  which  provides  for  a  steady 
advance  from  the  easy  to  the  difficult  sales  points. 

In  a  demonstration  the  wise  salesman  begins  with  the 
-easy  points  and  works  to  the  hard.  Here  knowledge 
obtained  in  the  pre-approach  becomes  of  great  value.  He 
will  not  address  an  expert  mechanic  in  the  same  terms  as 
a  man  who  may  understand  only  that  a  machine  is  made 
up  of  wheels  and  cogs.  A  promoter  accustomed  to  large 
financial  transactions  naturally  does  not  call  for  the 
treatment  given  a  man  whose  experience  has  been  con- 
fined to  sales  over  the  counter. 

The  fact  that  you  may  encounter  at  any  time  those 
who  are  nearly  as  well  posted  on  a  subject  as  yourself, 
makes  the  selection  of  your  style  of  demonstration  im- 
portant. There  is  nothing  more  disconcerting  to  an 
-actor  than  to  be  prompted  from  the  audience,  and  noth- 


SPECIALTY    SELLING 191 

ing  weakens  the  effect  of  a  sales  attempt  more  than  to 
have  the  listener  show  a  greater  knowledge  of  a  subject 
than  the  salesman.  The  chances  of  this  happening  may 
be  lessened  by  avoiding  general  statements.  The  general 
statement  is  open  to  discussion,  and  discussion  wastes 
energy.  The  specific  statement  is  more  convincing  and 
leaves  little  chance  for  a  digression. 

After  the  demonstration  comes  the  objective  point  to- 
ward which  the  salesman  has  been  working — the  close. 
The  fact  that  unsuitable  preliminaries — imperfect  work 
in  the  approach  and  demonstration — often  prevent  a 
satisfactory  close,  probably  explains  why  salesmen  usu- 
ally regard  it  as  the  most  difficult  part  of  a  sale.  Sales- 
men frequently  say,  "I  can  do  anything  except  close."" 
It  is  as  though  a  student  should  say,  "I  can  do  anything 
except  pass  my  examinations.  I  understand  my  text 
books  perfectly,  my  recitations  are  excellent,  but  I  can 
not  stand  an  examination."  The  salesman  places  him- 
self in  the  same  light  when  he  declares  he  can  not  close. 
Given  a  suitable  proposition,  an  approach  correctly  made 
and  a  scientific  demonstration — the  close  is  nine  times, 
out  of  ten  satisfactory.  Much  as  a  sound  theorem  in 
mathematics  may  be  demonstrated  from  premise  to  solu- 
tion, a  problem  in  salesmanship  may  be  demonstrated  to 
its  proper  close.  Not  every  problem  in  salesmanship, 
however,  will  receive  a  favorable  answer.  It  is  absolutely 
impossible  to  sell  every  man  approached,  but  there  is  a 
certain  ratio  of  prospects  that  may  be  sold.  Keeping 
this  ratio  at  a  high  point  is  good  salesmanship. 

When  the  close  is  made  the  customer  should  be  left  in 
the  shortest  time  consistent  with  politeness.  Having 
"talked  a  man  into  a  sale,"  you  should  be  careful  not 
to  talk  him  out. 

All  salesmen  require  a  constant   fund  of   optimism. 


192 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

No  matter  how  good  a  proposition  may  be,  no  matter  how 
well  a  salesman  may  demonstrate  it,  no  matter  what  per 
cent  of  prospects  eventually  close,  the  boys  with  the 
grips  must  carry  a  complete  line  of  optimism  with  their 
samples.  Optimism  says  that  tomorrow  will  be  better 
than  today.  It  is  optimism  that  believes  a  present  run 
of  good  luck  will  continue.  It  is  optimism  that  polishes 
up  the  dark  side  when  there  is  no  bright  side  apparent. 

More  than  all  else  the  traveling  salesman  must  love 
his  work.  The  petty  annoyances,  the  physical  discom- 
forts and  the  continual  rebuffs  the  salesman  experiences 
can  not  be  paid  in  salary  and  expenses,  or  even  in  com- 
missions, but  must  find  compensation  in  the  fascination 
of  selling. 


HPHE  matter  of  success  should  be  put  up  to  the  pride  of  the 
•*•  individual.  He  should  be  made  to  understand  that  his 
development  depends  upon  himself  and  the  quality  of  his  work. 
If  a  salesman  can  show  an  increase  of  three  per  cent  in  the 
sales  of  his  territory  or  department  in  a  given  period  he  has 
proved  his  right  to  remain  a  part  of  the  business  organization 
however  individual  his  methods  for  achieving  these  results. 

Following  out  this  same  idea,  I  believe  that  too  many  instruc- 
tions to  salesmen  are  often  fatal.  Don't  be  too  specific;  such 
an  attitude  makes  a  man  into  a  machine.  When  sending  a 
man  on  a  certain  duty  it  is  never  best  to  say,  "do  exactly  this," 
or  "don't  do  that."  The  proper  course  is  to  say  "go  and  look 
into  this  matter  to  the  best  of  your  ability." 

—Richard  W.  Sears 

Founder,  Sears  Roebuck  &  Company 


XXIII 

MAKING  ONE  STORE 
PURCHASE  SELL  ANOTHER 

By  George  L.  Louis 

DURING  a  mid-winter  sale  a  woman  approached  the 
silk-goods  counter  of  a  large  department  store. 
Seating  herself,  she  drew  a  small  sample  of  silk  from 
her  purse  and  asked  the  waiting  clerk  to  match  it  for 
her  in  material  of  the  same  price.  This  was  soon  done. 

"I'll  take  eight  yards  of  it,"  she  announced. 

"Very  well,  madam,"  the  clerk  responded  courteously, 
proceeding  to  unroll  the  bolt  and  measure  off  the  cloth. 
To  all  appearance  the  transaction  was  closed.  The  pur- 
chaser turned  half  way  around  on  her  stool  and  watched 
the  people  in  the  aisles.  Seven  yards  had  been  measured 
off;  but  before  completing  the  eighth  yard  and  cutting 
the  silk,  the  clerk  quietly  pulled  out  another  bolt  of 
cloth  from  a  near-by  shelf,  opened  it  sufficiently  to  make 
an  attractive  display  and  then  laid  it  before  the  customer. 

"Here's  something  we've  just  got  in  that's  rather 
pretty,"  he  remarked  casually.  The  customer  turned 
back  to  the  counter  and  began  examining  the  silk. 

"Why,  it's  the  very  same  color  as  my  sample,  isn't 
it?"  she  exclaimed,  pleasantly  surprised. 

"Yes,  but  it  is  much  heavier,  and  it  has  the  mirrored 
surface,"  the  clerk  explained.  "That's  the  latest  effect, 
of  course. ' '  Without  further  comment  he  picked  up  the 
original  bolt  and  began  remeasuring  it. 


194 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

"Just  a  moment,  please;  don't  cut  that  yet,"  the  cus- 
tomer requested,  after  intently  inspecting  the  new  cloth. 
She  compared  it  with  the  silk  she  had  ordered.  She 
asked  the  price.  It  was  seventy  cents  more  per  yard. 
Then  she  said:  "I'll  take  this  instead  of  the  other." 

This  was  subtle  selling ;  no  direct  proffer  of  the  higher 
priced  silk  had  been  made.  The  customer  \ras  not  asked 
to  buy.  The  presentation  of  the  better  grade  silk  was 
made  a  purely  incidental  part  of  the  transaction  between 
clerk  and  customer. 

A  little  later  in  another  department  store  where  a  less 
intelligent,  lower  salaried  class  of  salespeople  is  em- 
ployed, I  lingered  at  the  dress  goods  section  for  over  an 
hour  before  I  witnessed  the  contrasting  episode  for  which 
I  was  seeking. 

/CLERKS  who  handle  customers  in  this  way  may  cost 
V>  you  hundreds  of  dollars  in  lost  sales  unless  you 
work  with  them  and  show  them  the  right  way  to  sell. 

Finally  it  happened.  A  woman  who  had  been  leisurely 
examining  some  dress  material  asked  a  clerk  for  technical 
information  regarding  it.  She  received  her  answer  and 
continued  her  examination,  the  clerk  leaving  her  to  her 
own  free  will  without  further  comment.  Shortly  she 
turned  to  the  clerk  again  and  announced  that  she  wanted 
a  certain  yardage  of  the  goods.  Instead  of  complying 
with  her  request,  he  brought  down  other  goods  and 
started  to  argue  its  advantages  over  the  material  she  in- 
tended to  buy.  It  looked  as  if  he  was  aiming  for  a  "P. 
M." — extra  money  given  for  selling  "slow"  stock. 

Three  other  higher  priced  fabrics  were  exhibited  and 
exploited  to  the  prospective  customer.  She  expressed 
her  preference  for  the  material  originally  picked  out 
and  shook  her  head  repeatedly  as  he  tried  to  convince 


SALES    BY    SUGGESTION 195 

her  that  he  was  showing  her  better  goods.  As  a  last 
effort  the  clerk  turned  to  the  shelf  for  another  bolt,  but 
was  surprised  to  find  the  would-be  customer  making  a 
hasty  retreat. 

Women  seem  to  be  more  deft  in  the  art  of  subtle  sell- 
ing than  men.  They  have  a  knack  of  ' '  showing  things ' ' 
without  any  evident  intent  of  selling  that  is  so  appealing 
and  forcible  the  shopper  can  not  resist  it. 

Four  women  entered  an  exclusive  shop  in  the  select  re- 
tail district  of  Chicago,  where  feminine  finery  and  dress 
accessories  are  sold.  Only  one  of  the  women  was  an  in- 
tending purchaser;  she  had  seen  a  lace  collar  displayed 
in  the  window  and  proposed  to  buy  it.  The  other  three 
simply  accompanied  her.  She  made  known  her  desire  to 
a  clerk,  who  brought  forth  an  assortment  of  lace  collars 
for  her  selection.  This  was  done  despite  the  fact  that 
the  lace  collar  in  the  window  was  particularized  and 
asked  for.  Instead  of  one  customer  examining  one  collar, 
all  four  were  soon  busily  engaged  in  inspecting  the  as- 
sortment in  front  of  them  with  exclamations  of  approval 
and  delight  as  one  dainty  collar  after  another  was  held 
up  and  admired. 

The  finale  of  the  saleswoman's  method  was  that  in- 
stead of  selling  the  one  lace  collar  which  had  been  the 
instrument  of  the  visit  of  the  four  women,  and  the  price 
of  which  was  six  dollars,  five  collars  in  all  were  sold  for 
forty  dollars.  The  purchasers  started  for  the  door.  But 
the  clerk  had  not  finished  her  work. 

Apparently  with  the  purpose  of  opening  the  door  for 
the  woman,  the  clerk  led  them  to  the  exit.  But  as  they 
reached  the  center  of  the  room,  she  stopped  and  turned 
their  attention  to  a  show  case  containing  a  display  of 
French  novelty  jewelry. 

" These  are  just  in  from  Paris,"  she  remarked.  "Mrs. 


196 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

k* 

; Charles  (the  proprietor's  name)  considers  them  the  very 
finest  novelties  ever  imported  into  the  United  States. 
Aren  't  they  unique,  and  isn  't  this  beautiful  ? ' '  Opening 
the  case,  she  took  out  a  few  of  the  hat  pins,  buckles  and 
other  wares.  Within  ten  minutes  almost  every  article  in 
the  case  hac(  been  looked  at  and  priced.  Three  of  the 
women  made  purchases  amounting  to  twenty-seven  dol- 
lars. Total,  sixty-seven  dollars.  Skill  and  diplomacy, 
without  one  word  or  even  the  faintest  suggestion  of  an 
offer,  had  developed  a  six-dollar  sale  into  one  of  sixty- 
seven  dollars. 

ANALYSIS  of  the  subtle  side  of  selling,  this  observant 
saleswoman  explains,  enables  her  to  secure  profits 
from  sales  for  which  the  customer  did  not  plan. 

Questioned  in  regard  to  her  selling  policy,  the  clerk 
said:  "My  experience  is  that  women  (and  I  suppose  it 
is  the  same  with  men)  come  here  to  buy;  they  don't 
want  to  be  sold.  If  I  had  shown  just  the  one  lace  collar 
to  that  woman,  that's  all  I  should  have  sold  her.  Or  if 
I  had  asked  the  four  to  look  at  and  buy  the  collars  I  put 
before  them,  in  all  probability  that  is  as  far  as  I  should 
have  got.  If  I  had  said  *  Here's  something  I'd  like  to 
sell  you/  when  I  drew  their  attention  to  the  jewelry 
novelties,  they  wouldn't  have  stopped  for  even  a  glance. 
When  people  buy,  they  want  the  satisfaction  of  feeling 
that  they  are  getting  something  that  they  really  desire. 
They  get  that  feeling  when  you  let  them  do  the  heavy 
work  and  you  merely  display  or  call  their  attention 
casually  to  the  stuff  you  want  them  to  buy. ' ' 

"How  do  you  handle  the  ' just-came-to-look '  visitors?" 
she  was  asked. 

"They  are  our  best  trade.  They  are  the  betwixt-and- 
between  kind  who  want  to  buy  but  need  a  little  sug- 


SALES    BY    SUGGESTION 197 

gestive  influence  to  make  them  good  customers.  Two 
ladies  were  here  a  few  days  ago  who  told  me  decisively 
that  they  only  wished  to  look  more  closely  at  a  beaded 
waist  shown  in  the  window.  I  took  it  out  of  the  window 
and  placed  it  before  them.  Then  I  brought  out  a  pretty 
beaded  neckpiece  that  matched.  Next  I  showed  them 
some  imported  beaded  jewelry  that  would  make  an  at- 
tractive contrast  if  worn  with  the  waist,  and  followed 
with  a  new  style  of  detached  cuffs  and  a  string  of  coral 
beads. 

4 'Finally,  I  placed  before  them  a  photograph  of  a 
model  in  a  costume  very  similar.  They  both  became  en- 
thusiastic over  it.  The  younger  of  the  two  was  doing 
some  pretty  hard  thinking,  I  could  see.  All  this  while, 
I  had  been  putting  in  effective  remarks  about  the  dis- 
tinctiveness  and  fashionableness  of  the  outfit. 

"  'I'm  going  to  do  it,'  the  younger  woman  announced, 
after  they  had  exchanged  comments  in  a  low  voice.  *  How 
much  does  it  all  come  to?'  she  asked  me.  I  told  her. 
And  she  bought  it  all.  I  had  not  urged  her  or  asked  her 
to  buy  in  any  way.  If  I  had,  I  should  undoubtedly  have 
lost  the  sale." 

In  Toledo  there  is  a  corset  shop  which  is  owned  and 
conducted  by  a  clever  business  woman  who  attributes 
her  success  solely  to  indirect  methods  of  selling.  She 
has  built  up  her  trade  in  an  odd  way.  She  advertises 
only  moderate  priced  models,  but  almost  all  of  the  cor- 
sets she  sells  are  high  priced.  The  lower  priced  styles 
are  used  mainly  as  " feeders." 

"  Price  is  the  important  approach  with  the  average 
woman,"  she  explains.  "The  class  of  women  who  are 
so  wealthy  that  they  can  ignore  price  are  too  few  to 
make  a  business  profitable.  Now,  I  advertise  corsets  to 
sell  at  two,  three,  four  and  five  dollars.  When  they  can 


198 ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 

go  to  an  exclusive  shop  like  this  and  get  models  at  such 
prices,  plus  the  service  I  give,  they  gladly  give  me  the 
preference  over  the  department  stores. 

"They  come  to  me,  you  see,  primarily  because  they 
believe  they  can  get  more  for  their  money  here  than  else- 
where. A  shop  like  mine  can't  exist  on  the  small  profit 
in  a  low  priced  corset.  So  I  usually  sell  them  a  model 
Jhat  costs  from  twenty-five  to  one  hundred  per  cent  more 
than  they  originally  intended  to  spend.  Nor  do  I  have 
to  talk  the  higher  priced  corset  to  accomplish  this.  The 
corset  they  want  at  first  receives  most  of  the  attention. 

"  'This  is  an  excellent  corset,'  I  say,  showing  my  cus- 
tomer the  style  suited  to  her  figure  and  at  the  price  she 
has  named.  'It  will  give  you  a  very  fashiomable  figure 
effect.'  I  always  go  into  details.  I  show  her  I  believe 
in  the  model  I  am  demonstrating.  But  I  am  careful  not 
to  bring  the  transaction  to  the  closing  point. 

/CUSTOMERS  who  come  into  this  specialty  shop  for 
^~/  a  low  priced  purchase  usually  leave  with  a  sales  slip 
for  money  spent  on  a  more  costly  article. 

' '  Then,  casually,  I  show  her  one  of  the  more  expensive 
corsets  to  prove  how  much  of  value  the  model  she  asked 
for  really  possesses.  I  dwell  upon  the  merits  of  the  lower 
priced  style,  but  all  the  while  she  is  contrasting  it  with 
the  better  grade  model.  When  she  begins  to  ask  ques- 
Jions,  I  admit  the  vast  difference  between  them  and  the 
far  greater  style,  fit,  comfort  and  service  that  the  one 
offers  over  the  other.  But  I  never  say  a  word  against 
the  cheaper  one.  In  fact,  my  talk  is  centered  upon  the 
model  she  came  in  to  buy.  But  she  wants  this  less  and 
less  as  the  contrast  between  it  and  the  others  becomes 
impressed  upon  her.  In  nine  instances  out  of  ten  I  can 
sell  the  higher  priced  corset  without  doing  anything 


SALES    BY    SUGGESTION 199 

more  than  skillfully  contrasting  the  two  grades." 

Men  are  won  by  similar  indirect  methods.  A  man 
entered  a  tobacco  store  and  asked  for  a  mild  cigar. 
After  several  different  brands  were  shown  him,  he  se- 
lected four  of  a  kind  with  which  he  was  familiar  and 
paid  fifty  cents  to  the  clerk. 

"When  you  come  in  again,  I  want  you  to  try  one  of 
these,"  the  latter  said,  bringing  another  box  out  of  the 
case.  "They  are  mild,  but  just  a  bit  stronger  than  the 
ones  you've  got.  I  think  you'll  like  them." 

"Let  me  have  a  couple  of  them  now,"  the  expected 
response  came  promptly.  This  clerk,  using  his  own 
subtle  methods,  sells  twice  as  many  cigars  as  the  next 
best  salesman.  Knowing  his  stock,  knowing  how  each 
cigar  compares  with  all  the  others,  he  is  able  to  suggest 
one  just  as  good,  perhaps  better,  to  transient  customers. 
And  transient  trade  pays  the  profits  in  his  business. 

"I  don't  suppose  you  would  care  to  spend  thirty  dol- 
lars for  a  suit.  I've  got  your  exact  size  in  an  excellent 
suit  made  of  that  new  gray  striped  material  that  I  am 
sure  you'll  like."  This  was  the  remark  of  a  clothing 
salesman  to  a  customer  who  had  been  fitted  in  a  suit 
costing  twenty  dollars  and  which  he  had  decided  to  pur- 
chase. The  customer  resented  the  insinuation  that  he 
could  not  afford  a  thirty-dollar  suit,  asked  to  see  it  and, 
noting  the  pleasing  style  and  appearance,  bought  it. 

This  is  an  instance  of  subtle  selling  despite  the  fact 
that  its  form  is  negative.  The  manager  of  this  clothing 
store  stated  that  twenty-five  per  cent  of  its  sales  of 
higher  priced  elothing  are  closed  by  negative  suggestion. 

Likewise  the  retailer  who  omits  price  announcements 
on  the  merchandise  he  displays  in  his  windows,  is  using 
subtlety.  The  price  attached  to  the  article  in  the  window 
in  effect  reads:  "Here  are  our  goods  and  here  are  our 


200  ROAD    AND    STORE    TRADE 


prices."  That  is  a  direct  offer,  and  unless  the  price  is 
notably  low,  there's  the  end  of  it.  Without  the  price 
label  a  possible  desire  can  be  aroused  without  the  sug- 
gestion of  buying  which  the  price  ticket  signifies,  anc 
without  the  danger  of  frightening  the  possible  buyer 
away.  But  both  methods  have  merits — tickets  belong  in 
windows  when  the  price  is  low  enough  to  be  a  ruling 
attraction.  Circumstances  must  decide. 

Department  stores  in  the  large  cities  recognize  the  tre- 
mendous force  of  subtlety  in  selling.  They  induce  men 
and  women  to  visit  their  establishments  for  purposes 
wholly  apart  from  buying.  They  spend  thousands  of 
dollars  yearly  for  a  purpose  that  has  no  apparent  con- 
nection with  selling  goods.  Their  object  is  to  get  peo- 
ple into  the  store  and  surround  them  with  subtle  influ- 
ences which  will  metamorphose  visitors  into  customers. 

They  devote  thousands  of  square  feet  of  expensive 
floor  space  to  beautifully  equipped  rest-rooms,  writing 
rooms,  "silence  rooms"  with  maids  and  trained  nurses 
in  attendance,  theater  ticket  offices,  check  rooms  and 
other  similar  conveniences,  the  privileges  of  which  are 
extended  to  all  visitors  without  charge.  Thus  the  atmos- 
phere of  trade  is  removed  and  with  it  the  defensive  forti- 
fications of  the  buyer.  For  the  shopping,  bargaining  in- 
stinct is  substituted  a  friendly  confidence  more  valuable 
to  the  store  than  to  have  all  visitors  come  with  a  definite 
purpose  of  purchasing. 


TV/f  AKE  those  dealing  with  you  feel  that  whatever  you  offer 
•*•  them  is  just  as  represented;  not  practically  as  repre- 
sented, but  exactly.  There  must  be  no  working  around  a 
questionable  point.  It  would  be  a  short-lived  success 
which  you  would  gain  by  keeping  silent  when  customers 
purchased  goods  unadvantageously. 

— Phillip  A.  Conne 

Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Saks  &  Company 


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OVERDUE. 


4    1if3'" 


MAS  30  19 


DEC    8  1982 


1937 


1940 


_Qctl4'4fifo 


LD  21- 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


